On Jan. 14, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted CAB Info Night in the Kirkhof Center Room 0072 on the Allendale Campus. Here, students learned how they can help around Grand Valley State University as CAB members.

“It’s really a nice way to use your passion to give back to campus because we put these events on for a lot of students,” said CAB President Jessica Fillmore.

Prior to college, Fillmore said she was really involved in high school through planning events. As a GVSU freshman, she looked for a similar experience. With some help from a resident assistant (RA) involved on campus, she joined CAB.

As CAB’s current president, Fillmore said the organization is pursuing some inter-organizational goals this winter semester. One goal involves CAB hosting one event each week. Furthermore, CAB seeks to diversify their events to cater to all students, including for movie selections and craft nights.

However, Fillmore said it is tough to diversify events because CAB has limited time and resources. CAB directors work with budgets, students and on-campus partners when organizing events. Furthermore, there are a lot of opinions to consider between CAB board members and the GVSU student population.

CAB is always open to suggestions from students, Fillmore said. She said general members really help CAB by attending committee meetings where detailed planning occurs for events. Here, general members can express their opinions on aspects of CAB activities.

For general meetings, Fillmore said they help CAB members reach for volunteer opportunities and stay updated and engaged in professional development. Through professional development, CAB also goes through professional development experiences, such as workshops on interviews and resumes. In the process, Fillmore mentioned this helps students prepare for the real world as an additional benefit to the time they invest into CAB.

Beyond attending meetings, students can also volunteer for upcoming events CAB has scheduled for winter 2020. Sibs for Kids, Weekend Feb. 21-23 will allow students’ siblings to visit GVSU. Fillmore said activities throughout the weekend will include trivia, bingo and a carnival.

“We understand that students come back from spending a lot of time with their families over winter break,” said CAB Office of Student Life Graduate Assistant for Programming Caroline Murray. Due to this, Murray said it can be hard to be away from family for a few months, but Sibs for Kids allows GVSU students and their siblings to share the college experience and build everlasting memories. After all, Murray recalled visiting her brother for Sibs for Kids while she was a high schooler.

Along with family bonding, Murray said the event helps siblings who may be thinking about college, including whether GVSU can play a role in their future. She also mentioned CAB looked at previous attendance for Sibs for Kids, finding many older students attended the event. Sibs for Kids was often geared toward younger students prior to high school.

Therefore, Murray said CAB has updated the event’s programs to reflect the needs of older students. Additionally, the organization wants to reduce the cost from $20 to $5 per person. The reduction in admission price is intended to make it easier for GVSU students to attend Sibs for Kids.

In place of Last Laker Standing, Fillmore said comedian Jeff Scheen will perform and network with students interested in going into professional comedy. The reason for the change, Fillmore explained, is Last Laker Standing competitors had participated in GV’s Got Talent.

Aside from the Spring Concert and ExtravaGRANDza next April, Fillmore mentioned CAB has smaller events scheduled throughout the winter. At least two coffeehouse concerts are scheduled this winter along with crafts nights and a comedian coming in on Galentine’s Day, the day before Valentine’s Day.

As for students interested in helping out CAB, Murray said they should definitely try it.

“We’re always willing to accommodate those students and help them get involved in making a difference on campus,” Murray said.