When senior Brittani Marshall came to Grand Valley State University’s campus four years ago, she found herself trying to find ways to adapt to the campus culture.

In the process of getting acclimated to her new home, she turned to the concept of diversity to grasp how unique cultures can be. Marshall decided to join CLOUD NINE, a diversity group on campus, as part of her effort to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the variety of students she encountered.

“I joined CLOUD NINE as a freshman and it helped me with the transition to college because being from Detroit, a predominantly African-American community, it was like a culture shock, so being a part of CLOUD NINE has really opened my eyes to a lot of differences and a lot of similarities between myself and others ethnicities or racial groups,” Marshall said.

Janay Donaldson, a GVSU senior, said she started going to CLOUD NINE meetings two years ago because she thought the topics being discussed were entertaining. However, she said the longer she went, the more she realized the importance of topics being brought each week and the potential the group had.

Today, executive board members Marshall, Donaldson and senior Kendall VandenBerg said they are working to break down the barriers that may exist between different cultures on campus by promoting cultural understanding and acceptance on weekly basis.

The group, which has grown to roughly 25 members, organizes an event called “cultural shock” for students every fall semester and a cocktail event that takes place during the winter semester.

“Cultural shock” uses hypnosis to address different stereotypes that exist within a variety of different cultures and backgrounds.

“While doing (culture shock) we basically just raise awareness that yet everyone is different, we’re all basically still one,” Marshall said.

This year’s culture shock event will take place Nov. 17 in the Pere Marquette Room of the Kirkhof Center from 7 to 9 p.m.

For Donaldson, being a part of CLOUD NINE and interacting with people who have different qualities within them is something she says she will take with her after she graduates.

“I’ll take away a better understanding for different groups of people that typically I’m not used to seeing,” she said.

Members of CLOUD NINE also participate in study tables and frequently volunteer with different community service projects as a way to bring people together and promote cultural acceptance.

This year, members say CLOUD NINE is more diverse than it has ever been, and Marshall credits the increase in diversity to the laid-back atmosphere among the members.

“A lot of people feel like CLOUD NINE is that organization that you can come in and you can suggest things, and not feel like we’re stuck on doing one thing,” Marshall said. “We don’t mind listening to what the members want done and we don’t mind having open meetings where we just talk about whatever it is the members want to talk about.”

[email protected]