Sophomores Heather Close and Patty Salvo browsed through six rows of tables yesterday trying to find an organization of interest among the 97 set up at the Student Involvement Fair.

Close, a transfer student from York, picked up information at the Penn State Outing Club.

"I've always been interested in that kind of activity and I did it in York," Close said.

Milling through the balloon-filled HUB Ballroom, students could obtain information about political organizations, religious groups, support groups, art organizations, Greek organizations and many others.

Political groups from the College Democrats to the Penn State Students for Life to religious organizations from the Alliance Christian Fellowship to the Baha'i Faith group occupied most of the tables.

Julie Brown (freshman-business) said she was able to find information about her new major.

"I was in engineering, and this is good for me to find out what organizations are in business so I can get involved with my major," Brown said.

Loretta Knuth, a secretary for the Center for Student Involvement, said, "It's best for new students who need to find out what's available and get involved."

Mahboobeh Safaeian, sitting behind the Baha'i Faith group's table, said, "We deal with social issues like world unity and world peace . . . We believe that peace can't be achieved without unity."

Led by a sandy-colored seeing eye dog, a blind woman made her way through the busy ballroom yesterday, promoting the Sight Loss Support Group.

A table adorned with cosmic comic books and a copy of Arthur C. Clarke's 2061 promoted the Penn State Science Fiction Society. A poster reading, "Take time to look through your trash," brought attention to Eco-Action, a student organization which deals with recycling and other environmental issues.

Other organizations were aimed at providing information and support for the growing issues and problems of today's world.

Bob Kuzma, director of education for the AIDS Project of State College, said the group participated in the fair because the University provides an ample amount of potential volunteers. The project gives out information and provides support for AIDS patients in the area, he said.

"We are looking for volunteers, especially students, to be peer educators and to get out and inform others how to prevent the HIV virus," Kuzma said.

In addition to social and support organizations, students were also able to inquire about club sports teams. The Rugby Club occupied a table complete with an official rugby ball and a list of seven new recruits.