Constitution Day event 

Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will host Dean of Yale Law School, Heather Gerken, on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Loosemore Auditorium on the downtown campus. Gerken is considered a foremost expert on constitutional and election law and her scholarship and work have been featured in The Atlantic, the Boston Globe, NPR and Time. Gerken will be discussing federalism in the 21st century and will share her thoughts on achieving a common ground in the polarized political climate of 2018.

This event is free and open to the public. An RSVP is requested of attendees at gvsu.edu/hc/events.

Conversations of Color

The Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting several Conversations of Color to have an open and honest dialogue about race, popular culture, identity and more. The next event will be Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Office of Multicultural Affairs in Kirkhof Center. There will be a Conversation of Color event each month scheduled for the rest of fall semester.

These discussions are aimed to provide context and clarity to current world issues and assist students in understanding how identity affects both individuals and a campus community. Experts facilitate the discussion with ground rules to create a space for inclusivity. Email [email protected] or visit the Office of Multicultural Affairs for more information. 

Family weekend at GVSU

Several events are scheduled for GVSU’s annual family weekend. The first of these events is the Family Weekend 5K that will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Cook-Carillon Tower on GVSU’s Allendale Campus. The course will show off the beauty of Grand Valley’s campus and will have refreshments, music and giveaways post race. 

Professional times will be taken with immediate results provided by PrimeNRG and race winners will receive medals. 

There will also be a Grand Valley Picnic held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday inside the Fieldhouse Arena. Special appearances will be made by Louie the Laker, the GV cheer team, the Laker Marching Band and President Haas. 

Tickets for adults and students are $13 while children under three are free. A catered meal is included for attendees. Contact campus recreation at [email protected] or visit gvsu.edu/familyweekend for the full schedule of events.

Blood drive 

The Michigan Blood drive van will return to campus Tuesday, Sept. 18 and Wednesday Sept. 19 to take blood donations from students, staff and faculty. The van will be parked outside Kleiner Commons on Tuesday and outside the Kirkhof Center on Wednesday. The vans will be holding donations from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be returning for two days each month of fall semester.

10-Year anniversary of the Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center

The Niemeyer Learning and Living Center was constructed 10 years ago as an environment to motivate students to excel. A reflection will be held to honor the anniversary and hear the experiences of the students, faculty, and staff who have had the opportunity to live and work in the building. Remarks will begin at 4 p.m. in the Honors College followed by refreshments and tours of the building. Several noteworthy attendees include former Provost Glenn Niemeyer, Provost Cimitile, some Honors alumni, as well as President and Mrs. Haas. 

Visit gvsu.edu/honor/10year for more information.