To help students get involved on and off campus, Campus Life Night 2.0 will be returning for Grand Valley State University students in January 2017. There will be around 250 different organizations present at this event for students to learn about.

Campus Life Night 2.0 will take place Friday, Jan. 13, in the Kirkhof Center at GVSU. The event will span two hours and over 2,000 students are expected to show up throughout the day. Students will be able to find out about clubs and other organizations that can help them, like the financial aid office.

“(Clubs) helps them succeed more and get involved and connected more,” said Eric Stevens, student organization development coordinator. “The more involvement and connections to faculty and staff will help them stay here and graduate.”

Stevens explained students get to meet members of different clubs and organizations. He said this allows them to try out these different clubs and to see which ones fit them best. Stevens said he has even seen a student join the karate club who didn’t know it existed.

“Students should have a balance between their academic and social lives,” said Tanisha Kuykendall, the graduate assistant for Stevens. “It’s important to join organizations that allow you to take time to meet people and relieve stress.”

Kuykendall stressed the importance of what clubs can do for students. She thinks joining a club will make students more professional socially. She also said when a student joins a club, they often feel a sense of belonging on campus.

Each organization will be given a table, and often have a poster board explaining who they are and what they do. Students can then ask questions, meet with members and sign up. Campus Life Night 2.0 is the equivalent of Campus Life Night for the second semester. However, being indoors means the weather won’t be a problem this time around. Last year some organizations performed songs and a comedy improv group performed. For this year’s event the activities aren’t set in stone but will include much of the same material.

“I’ve had so many friends go not expecting much and they end up having a blast,” said Elise Snyder, student at GVSU.

Kuykendall agreed, saying this event gives freshmen their first chance to see all the extracurricular events at GVSU. She then explained once these students see which organizations fit into their schedule, they can join and start contributing to them.

Stevens said with Campus Life Night 2.0, students never know what to expect. Last year, Lake Michigan Credit Union made cookies and there was a photo booth. Stevens hopes this year’s event will bring in even more students and organizations than last year.

Registering for Campus Life Night 2.0 is currently open to all GVSU organizations. Students are not required to register and can show up any time during the event.