More than 400 registered student organizations will be represented at Grand Valley State University’s Campus Life Night this year. 

The annual event, designed to showcase GVSU’s many student clubs and organizations and connect incoming and returning students with extracurricular opportunities, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Parking Lot H.

One campus organization, Spotlight Productions, is getting ready for the event. Spotlight Productions is a student-run campus programming board that has been responsible for bringing celebrities, comedians, speakers and musicians to GVSU in the past.  

“Our event schedule is now online, and more information about what we offer will be accessible at our Campus Life Night table,” said Andrew Travis, graduate assistant for Spotlight Productions. “We will have our hypnotist Tom Delucha return, and a Hollywood comedian named Barry Brewer will be coming on Tuesday. We will also be hosting a silent disco and a coffeehouse concert, which are both new this year.”  

Many organizations showcased at the event will be offering their event schedules for the academic year, along with free giveaways and some interactive games. A noticeable pattern among the groups at Campus Life Night will be the advertising of upcoming events geared toward returning students, as well as freshmen. 

Another prominent student-run organization at GVSU is Laker Traditions, responsible for the Laker Kickoff Party, Homecoming, Family Weekend and the Intercultural Festival.  

“Laker Traditions are a celebration of Grand Valley, and each of the events held throughout the year are a way of establishing that we are more than a college,” said Rachel Jenkin, chairperson of the campus affairs committee for student senate. “Things are changing each year, and organizations like the Laker Traditions team do a good job of staying progressive and inclusive for students.” 

Both organizations can be found at Campus Life in their respective booths. Students can pick up Valley of Color highlighters and GVSU-themed chip clips from Laker Traditions representatives.  

“These events are focused on trying to create a relationship between students and Grand Valley,” said Dan Ziegenfelder, president of Laker Traditions and vice president of student senate. “The whole idea is that they’re for meeting new friends and building a lively community.” 

Spotlight Productions will have sign-up sheets for any GVSU students who want to interview for coordinator positions within the organization or get involved and volunteer for the events that will be hosted this year.  

“We are always looking for students to either volunteer for Spotlight Productions or join our team for planning events,” Travis said. “As long as students get involved in some way, we have done our part. That’s the most important thing.”  

During Homecoming week this year, the organizations will be partnering to hold a game show night. The groups are aiming for more than 600 attendees.  

“Everyone is a team for events like these,” Ziegenfelder said. “Even if some members are part of different panels, we’ll be putting our full effort forward as a whole.”