Campus Life Night 2.0, a multi-organizational event designed to bring together campus organizations with interested students, will be held in the Kirkhof Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 16.

This event aims to bring together students and student groups by providing space to explore opportunities to get involved on campus and allowing groups to promote their name and recruit new members.

Josh Lee, in charge of coordinating the event, said that Campus Life Night 2.0 will give an opportunity for a welcome-back celebration for GVSU students.

Lee, who is employed in the Office of Student Life as a student organization development graduate assistant, explained that this year, the theme of the night is to celebrate student involvement and leadership.

“The classroom is only a small portion of the overall college experience,” Lee said. “We find that students who get involved and pursue interests outside of the classroom have a much more holistic and gratifying college experience, and gain skills and experiences that cannot be replicated by simply going to class. There are so many ways for students to get involved, learn and grow here at GVSU, and we want to celebrate the student organizations that make these opportunities possible.”

Campus Life Night 2.0 will be one of the largest campus events of the semester, and the Office of Student Life and organizers have had to do a lot to get ready for the event.

“Finding the correct space for an event of this scale, along with performers and vendors for entertainment and food, have been a big focus,” said Lee, who has also been handling the registration process which will involve over 300 student organizations.

The team handling Campus Life Night 2.0 hopes to turn the Kirkhof Center into a space for student groups to advertise themselves; however, this decision is not simply a result of convenience and space issue.

“In years past, Campus Life Night had a bit of a job fair feel,” Lee said, explaining that this year he hopes that the night will be more lively and fun for all students.

He hopes to achieve this by having food and entertainment throughout the Kirkhof Center. He hopes that the entertainment provided will not only highlight student talent, but also accommodate current student interests.

While preparing for this event, the Office of Student Life staff hopes that students will be connected with the groups that they are interested in, as well as providing an avenue for students to discover new areas of interest.

Lee believes that the goal of every program at GVSU should be to help students have a more complete college experience.

“There are few opportunities that provide a better vehicle for that investment than involvement in a student organization,” Lee said. “While the entertainment, food and other activities that will be available will provide a great time, the real hope is that students find organizations that match their values and interests, and that these involvements have a positive impact on the lives of our students.”

Students who are looking to become more involved on campus, or who are an officer of an organization looking to recruit new members, can take part in Campus Life Night 2.0.

For more information, visit http://www.gvsu.edu/studentlife/.