Campus Activities Board (CAB) at Grand Valley State University commenced Homecoming Week with last Wednesday’s Aux Cord Wars.
Between mini-games and a game show-style musical competition, the event in the Fieldhouse Arena aimed to unify a broad swath of students in a competitive, high-energy showdown. Throughout the evening, rounds of trivia and Kahoot! questions were projected onto a main screen, prompting students to join the games on their phones. Music played between segments from a live DJ, and several attendees took to the floor to dance or compete for small prizes, including cash and T-shirts. The nationally touring event, hosted by entertainers Jay Dukes and Trizzy, was secured by CAB as a way to create an interactive, student-driven experience.
Near the event’s beginning, interactive games drew students toward the center of the arena and helped bring up the audience’s energy. The mix of dancing, trivia and short competitions maintained a lively pace and bridged transitions between formal Homecoming Week announcements. After the trivia games, Aux Cord Wars began, in which students and teams competed to control the beats, manage transitions and read the room’s energy levels. Students were invited onto the stage, with different playlists competing for dominance.
Members of the 2025 Homecoming Royalty Court also took the stage to introduce themselves between competitions, greeting the student body to build connections. Molly Fenn, Lukas Hartley, Arsean “ART” Jackson, Anna Kooima, Maisha Marriott, Annah Stang, Lasya Priya Vemalla and Jamar Williams were this year’s Royalty Court candidates, nominated to represent and emulate the Laker experience. Attendees were encouraged to vote for members of the court, with the competition closing two days after the event, Friday, Nov. 7.
CAB’s Assistant Director of Programming Katie Garrett said the event was all about musical competition and community. She emphasized a student-centered approach to Homecoming Week programming, capitalizing on the interactive musical event coming on the heels of last month’s Haunted Library.
“Picture being with your friends, competing to see who has the best playlist,” Garrett said. “It’s like that, but live, with prizes and a ton of energy. It’s a fun way to bring the GVSU community together and celebrate before the big game.”
Jordan Mitchell, a sophomore studying communications, commented on his experience at the event.
“I came with a few of my friends, and we all got really into it,” Mitchell said. “They played some of my favorite rap songs, and the Kahoot! games were actually pretty competitive. It felt like everyone was just having a good time together.”
