Thousands of students are expected at Campus Life Night on Tuesday, Sept. 2, an annual event sponsored by the Office of Student Life. The night will showcase organizations on campus, campus resources, and local businesses and non-profits.

Campus Life Night will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in parking lot C-East.

“Campus Life Night exists to give student organizations a chance to recruit students at GVSU to their club,” said Eric Garvelink, club sports coordinator in the Office of Student Life. “It’s also an opportunity for students who are looking to get involved and engaged.”

This free event will give new students the opportunity to sample all of the clubs available to them during their time at GVSU.

“This is a high energy type of event,” Garvelink said.

In total, Campus Night Life will have 51 businesses, 29 campus departments, 36 local non-profits and 258 student organizations in attendance. The Office of Student life plans on over 400 organizations attending the event.

According to the Office of Student Life, students only spend 30 percent of their time in actual classes during the school year.

“Campus Life Night helps provide an opportunity for students to find something to fill the other 70% of their time,” Garvelink said. “It can help socially, academically and professionally.”

Student organizations ranging broadly from club baseball to the GVSU television station to the civil war club will be present at the event.

Students can also learn about the leadership and service opportunities offered through the Laker Leadership programs, Community Service Learning Center and the Laker for a Lifetime campaign.

The success of Campus Life Night is the reason it is still going today.

“Every year, three to four thousand students attend,” said Todd Cox, student organization development coordinator.

Students can expect to see a DJ playing music, different campus departments and resources, businesses and local West Michigan vendors, all with different activities for students.

“[The vendors] bring activities to engage their audience,” Cox said.

The event is a tangible way people can get plugged in to activities outside of the classroom.

The clubs and organizations attending Campus Life Night are a good opportunity for students to supplement their skills they learn inside the classroom by getting involved outside the classroom.

Typically, freshmen are the largest group of students to participate in the event but they will still be interacting with upperclassmen.

“Juniors and seniors will be there representing their club or organization,” Garvelink said.

This is one of the only opportunities new and returning students will have to see all the organizations GVSU has to offer in one central location.

“The great thing about this event is that is allows students to experience interests they didn’t know they had,” Garvelink said.

Departments all over campus come together to help Campus Life Night happen, from facilities to the GVPD, and are hoping to outdo last year’s success.

The event is hosted in hopes that students will use it to maximize their college experience.

“It shows how alive Grand Valley’s community is,” Cox said.