The third annual “Finding Community Welcome” event brought students together Wednesday night and introduced them to communities on campus.

After seven months of planning, hundreds of students attended the event and learned about different clubs and organizations available to them. They were able to interact with organization directors and learn more about cultural centers on campus.

“A main benefit of this event is to show students you don’t have to give up who you are when you come to the U of A,” said Hannah Lozon, coordinator of social justice education for Residence Life.

“For example, if being Chicana is really important to you, we celebrate that here and this event is supposed to highlight that.”

Members of fraternities, sororities and other clubs sat at tables set up in the Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom, where they spoke with attendees about how to get more involved and active on campus.

“This is a really great way for students to interact and feel welcome,” said Michael Rosas, a criminal justice senior and president of Omega Delta Phi. “I know sometimes students can feel separated and that can lead to them dropping out. This encourages them to get involved.”

Food, entertainment, videos and a raffle were only some of what was offered to students at the event. Students also participated in human bingo, which allowed them to meet new people and interact more.

“I think this gives a lot of people who come here without anyone else that they know an opportunity to make new friends and find somewhere they can feel at home,” said Nikki Chand, a biology freshman from California.

Before the raffle began, a video explaining a little about cultural centers, the Disability Resource Center, Women’s Resources Center and LGBTQ Affairs was shown.

Events like these help provide a forum for students to connect with clubs, organizations and services that are there to represent different aspects of their identities, said Keith Humphrey, dean of students and assistant vice president of student affairs.

“I love seeing so many students interested in finding ways to connect on campus,” Humphrey said. “There’s a really great sense of positive energy in the room, which is a great way to start off the school year.”