IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ASSIST FAIR IN GATHERING DATA ON FAIRGOERS

Iowa Lakes Community College and the Clay County Fair will be cooperating for the 10th year in a row to survey fairgoers about their opinions.

Each year the questions are re-designed to ensure that the Clay County Fair gathers data on issues that will matter in future years.

One question has remained the same in the survey; the one asking fairgoers who they’d like to see as grandstand entertainers at future fairs.

Students from Iowa Lakes conduct personal interviews with fairgoers. Also, an electronic survey on voting machines is available at the Enrichment Center and in the Iowa Lakes booth located in the Clay County Regional Events Center. The voting machines are being provided through a partnership with the Clay County Auditor’s office.

"The Auditor’s office and the Clay County Board of Supervisors view this as a wonderful opportunity for everyone to experience the touch screen technology in our voting devices," said Marge Pitts, Clay County Auditor.

As usual, the fair is particularly interested in surveying those who are "first time" fair attendees.

"It’s a first-class survey," said Phil Hurst, executive secretary of the Clay County Fair. "Our partnership with Iowa Lakes allows the fair to gather statistics on what attracts people to the fair, and we use this data in our decision-making in future years."

He appreciates the efforts of Judy Cook (Executive Director of Planning and Development at the college) and her staff with the design of each year’s questions and providing the behind the scenes organizational efforts.

"This offers our students the chance to apply some of the skills they’ve learned in the classroom," said Cook. "It also is a service learning project and an opportunity to contribute service to one of our communities."

Students in the Sales & Marketing Management Program and the Business Administration & Management programs as well as some Speech classes, use the survey as a Service Learning project. In addition, other programs such as the Broadcast Media and Journalism & Photography programs, use the survey as an opportunity to fine tune interview skills as well as ‘cold’ call skills. And, at least one Sociology class uses the project in similar ways as the other programs listed and also asks students to complete an assignment to discuss reactions by the interviewee and the feelings of the interviewer.