Student Senate and University Board will join to host Panther Palooza, a fair showcasing the various Registered Student Organizations on campus.

The annual fair will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Wednesday in the South Quad.

University Board will be handing out ice cream during this event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Executive Vice President Lauren Price said Pantherpalooza gives students the chance to see what Eastern has to offer.

“The goal is to introduce students to many different RSOs and give RSOs the opportunity to show what they have to offer,” Price said.

82 RSOs have signed up for Pantherpalooza at the time of print. Price said she expects more to register last minute.

Student Body President Reginald Thedford said a variety of different RSOs will be present.

“There will be everything from Harry Potter club to the Illinois political science association,” Thedford said. “We also have fraternities and sororities signed up.”

When planning Pantherpalooza, Price said the student senate experienced technical difficulties with getting RSOs to register this year.

“Students have said they could not get the link to work and have signed up for the wrong year,” she said.

“All technical difficulties have been fixed,” Thedford noted.

Price said RSOs will be divided into east and west quadrants.

Thedford added that to avoid conflict, RSOs will be separated by categories that include academic, athletic/recreational, Greeks, honorary, multicultural, political, religious, service, social, and university department.

“In past years, certain groups, like democrats and republicans, didn’t want to be next to each other,” Thedford said.

He said Pantherpalooza has been successful in the past due to teamwork, organization, and involvement from different RSOs.

“It is a give and take opportunity,” Price said. “We are helping RSOs with recruitment and also getting our own recruits.”

She said student senate will be looking to recruit Supreme Court justices at Panther Palooza as well.

Price added in the future she would like to invite local businesses to give out information at the event.

“Student community services offer something along these lines,” Thedford stated.

Student Senate will also have their “Meet and Greet” after Panther Palooza at 5 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Room 1895.

Price said the goal is to have “open door policies” that will allow students to voice out their concerns about student senate.

Debby Hernandez can be reached at 581-2812 or dhernandez5@eiu.edu.