Hundreds of Yalies Explore Service Opportunities at Dwight Hall’s 2024 Fall Service Bazaar

On September 7, 2024, the Dwight Hall Student Executive Committee (ExComm) hosted its annual fall service bazaar. The event gave both new and returning Yale students the opportunity to learn about  more than 70 Dwight Hall student-led member groups, which lead advocacy and service initiatives across Yale, New Haven, and communities nationwide. The Service Bazaar is a tradition that dates back to the 1980s, when it was called the “Dwight Hall Open House.”

According to Emily Zhang ’25 and Rena Liu ’26, Co-Coordinators of the 2024 ExComm, there were over 500 attendees at the event and more than 200 new sign-ups for Dwight Hall’s Hall Happenings newsletter. “We are excited to help students integrate community service into their time at Yale and help member groups expand service to New Haven through everything from tax preparation to emergency medical services,” Rena wrote.

Prince Osaji ’26, who serves as the External President of the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association (YULAA), represented the organization at the bazaar. YULAA offers undergraduate students interested in promoting human rights through legal empowerment an opportunity to support legal aid and advocacy groups in the greater New Haven area and contribute to meaningful legal work before they enter law school or a law-related career.

“We chose to come [to the bazaar] to conduct more outreach to first-years and to get them involved in what YULAA does and the incredible opportunities that we have,” Prince explained. “[The bazaar] has been incredible—people seem really active, really passionate about what we are doing, and really open to joining, so we are grateful Dwight Hall hosted this event.”

Representatives from First-Years in Support of New Haven (FIS-NH), a Dwight Hall institutional program, also attended. The program, aimed specifically at first-year students, works to educate and connect students to the vibrant New Haven community and to each other through service. The group introduces first-years to New Haven nonprofit leaders and community organizers working in areas as wide-ranging as climate advocacy, prison reform, and refugee services, giving students the opportunity to explore different avenues for service.

Elizabeth Swaine ’27 explained the importance of an organization dedicated to teaching about service. “I think it is really important that first-years have the opportunity to start to connect with the city of New Haven from the second that they get here. FIS-NH is a really great way to do that…Every week, we will have nonprofit leaders come in and talk about the work they are doing, and as a first-year it is a great way to see a lot of really cool things that are happening in New Haven. Then, you can figure out what works best for you and have a more long-term [service] commitment over the course of your four years here.”

Overall, first-years and returning students alike were able to learn much about Dwight Hall’s offerings, and despite bursts of rain, ExComm was excited by student turnout and interest in Dwight Hall.

“We are so happy that the turnout at the bazaar reflected the service that we know exists on campus,” said Bintou Leigh ’27, New Membership Coordinator on the 2024 ExComm.

Looking forward to the rest of the semester, Emily and Rena have three main goals as Co-Coordinators of ExComm. First, they hope to improve the resources available to Dwight Hall member groups by launching initiatives like subsidizing rideshare costs and reevaluating the current funding scheme for member groups. 

Second, they hope to build off their previous success in promoting collaborations across different Dwight Hall member groups. Last year, ExComm worked with student groups Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, and Yale Children’s Theater, as well as the local advocacy group Connecticut Voices for Children, to advocate for the Connecticut Child Tax Credit. Moving forward, ExComm will look for exciting ways to unite member groups around common causes, such as housing justice and workers’ rights.

Finally, ExComm hopes to continue expanding the Dwight Hall community. In growing the professional and personal development resources at Dwight Hall through initiatives like the Spring Break Externship, ExComm hopes to make Dwight Hall “feel like a second home on campus for our students.”The community on display at the fall service bazaar highlights the Engage pillar of Dwight Hall’s Engage, Grow, and Advance program delivery model. As a part of the Engage pillar, Dwight Hall member groups seek to forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between students and New Haven. Looking ahead, Dwight Hall’s Student Executive Committee is hopeful that Dwight Hall and its partner organizations will continue to be a central part of students’ lives at Yale.