Gods, goddesses and mythical beings alike – Grand Valley State University students got ethereal at the annual Presidents’ Ball on Feb. 5.

The theme of the night centered on Grecian mythology, and across the DeVos Place, “A Night in the Clouds” was represented through dress and decor.

The pre-dance dinner had an increase in popularity from last year, and the dance saw similar attendance to last year.

“I just find that there’s Grand Valley magic when we have a dinner and then bring together 4,000 students and have a time where relationships are created and sustained,” said GVSU President Thomas Haas.”This is one of the special traditions that the university has had now for 30 years.”

In addition to the dinner and main dance, the event included swing dance lessons with live music, a photo booth and dessert tables.

Since last year’s ball drew a record-breaking attendance, attendance was expected to remain steady this year, and proved to do so. Because of this, the budget for the dance stayed the same as last year, at $40,000, keeping ticket prices the same for students as they were last year.

As is tradition with Presidents’ Ball, three awards were given out during the dinner to recognize those who have worked hard throughout the year at GVSU.

“We have the chance to recognize some special people in the life of the university,” Haas said.

The two that were chosen by student senate were the Laker of the Year award and the Student Award for Faculty Excellence (SAFE) award. The Laker of the Year is Krista McFarland, a student life assistant in the Office of Student Life. The SAFE award was given to Richard Hiskes, a professor of political science and honors classes.

The Presidents’ Appreciation Award was chosen exclusively by Haas and student senate President Maddie Cleghorn. The award went to Jodi Chycinski, the director of the admissions office.

“She has just had an enormous impact on the university,” Cleghorn said.

Haas agreed with Cleghorn, saying that Chycinski is a driving force behind getting many students to attend GVSU in the first place.

“(Chycinski) and her staff are responsible for introducing prospective students, through the admissions process, to Grand Valley, and we’ve seen that she’s doing a great job,” Haas said. “We see students who are a great fit, they’re successful here and they go out into graduate schools or into their careers and are successful there, too.”

For the annual 10 p.m. surprise, President Haas and Dean of Students Bart Merkle surprised everyone by dressing up as the Blues Brothers and lip-synced a song together. To celebrate Haas’ 10th year at the university, student senate presented Haas with a cake decked out with sparklers and a dance dedicated to him by the Royal Dancers.

“I’m thrilled that we’re able to do (this event) with a great deal of success and with the continued hope that everyone comes here and is really taken care of by each other,” Haas said. “It’s exciting and a really special time. Marcia and I feel very fortunate that we’re at a place that students are who they are and I’m so proud of every single one of them.”