Student groups took over Norris University Center on Friday afternoon to attract new members at the annual Student Activities Fair.

This year the 172 student groups at the fair attracted between 1,200 and 1,300 students, said Nicole Mash, Associated Student Government executive vice president and coordinator of the fair. Last year between 850 and 1,000 students and 159 groups participated, she said.

Televisions played past performances, radios blared music, posters advertised information and a cappella groups performed to recruit new members.

“(Students) were still there at 7:30 getting information, and the student groups had a great time with someone dressing up as a frog for Waa-Mu …,” said Mash, a Weinberg senior. “The turnout was phenomenal and the entire Northwestern community got together to make this great experience possible.”

Dance Marathon distributed free T-shirts and buttons to spread the word about the annual fund-raiser.

“We just want to get the word out to all the freshman,” said Dance Marathon co-chairman Zack Hall, a Communication senior.

After a few days of classes, students said they were excited to explore the various options available to them for nonacademic involvement at NU.

“I’m here to get a broader perspective on what the community has to offer,” said Alex Lurie, a Weinberg freshman.

Although the event is aimed at new students who may not know what groups exist, upperclassmen in attendance took the chance to sign up for organizations they knew they wanted to join.

“Last year as a freshman I signed up for a lot but did not get involved,” said Jamie Hirsh, a Weinberg sophomore. “Now I’m looking to find things to get involved in because I’m ready.”

As some current group members know, commitments made at the fair can last.

“We want to gauge student interest in our group and start getting a base,” said Mark Brandau, a Medill sophomore and member of the a cappella group Freshman Fifteen. “This is how I signed up to be in the group last year.”

Among the organizations were some clubs not officially recognized by ASG, which depended heavily on the fair to attract new members and build support for their causes.

“We’re hoping to rebuild the organization to how it used to be in the ’90s, and we have had lots of people sign up today, more than doubling our current membership,” said Jon-Michael Ong, a Weinberg junior recruiting for Kaibigan Filipino Students Association. “Being here is a beginning to a great year already.”

The strong turnout at the fair gave group leaders hope participants would become actively involved during the year, students said.

“It’s good to see both the students and clubs so interested in this,” said Mary Bridget, a Weinberg senior and former president of the Model United Nations. “We’re here to build a community and this is where it starts.”