Photo by Randy M. Cauthron

Fairgoers will be able to offer their opinions on just how good the Clay County Fair is when they complete a survey at the fair this year. Iowa Lakes Community College, the Clay County Fair and the Clay County Auditor's office will be cooperating for the 11th 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. Some 40 students from the college spread out across the fairgrounds in an effort to get a good cross-section of interviewees. Also, an electronic survey on voting machines is available at The Depot and at 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.

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

The survey is coordinated by Judy Cook, executive director of Planning and Development, along with her staff members who prep the materials and educate the students on the best ways to approach fairgoers.

"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, the Business Administration & Management program, the Journalism and Photography program, the Broadcast Media Specialist program, some Speech classes and a Sociology class are the surveyors. The students who choose to participate often get extra credit from instructors. In the Sociology class, the professor asks students to complete an assignment to discuss reactions by the interviewee and the feelings of the interviewer.

In other programs, the survey is used as an opportunity to fine tune interview skills as well as 'cold' call skills.