H M.
Google
So, first let me clarify I'm happy for them to reach out to UIC students who may be seeking a faith community. HOWEVER, I am very alarmed at the recruiting techniques I witnessed at UIC Convocation. Two young people (very near college age) walked around the picnic for new UIC students/families approaching groups of students who did not have parents with them. They did not explicitly reveal that they were not affiliated with the school.. Just asking the new college students if they liked coffee or boba and inviting them to an off-campus party with free coffee/boba and food. After befriending them in casual conversation about starting school, the two reps asked for the students' phone numbers and class schedules, that the students naively handed over. When asked, the reps finally admitted they weren't in college but were with a "fun student group at the Newman Center." As a parent, these are the exact tactics we warn our newly-launched young people about. Never give your contact info and schedule to strangers. There was no way to verify these two reps were actually who they said they were and now they have at least a handful of 18 year olds' contact info and where to find them. Lots of red flag behaviors they should know better than to do.
If you are inviting/recruiting to something legitimate, you should clearly identify your affiliation, provide the info and give the invitee a way to find more info anonymously (website, phone number, flyer, etc). AND you don't show up to a closed event, help yourself to a picnic buffet (for which you weren't registered), & wander around giving the impression you are just another new student when you've already graduated from an entirely different school! ("Sins of omission" ring any bells??)
