GVSU gala ball expects record crowd

Grand Valley State University's annual gala Presidents' Ball is set to have a record high turnout this year. Some 4,300 reservations have been made for this year's ball, which will be Friday, February 1 in the DeVos Place Ballroom in downtown Grand Rapids.

The event is planned by Grand Valley's Student Senate and hosted by the Student Senate President Frank Foster and Grand Valley President Thomas J. Haas. Now in its 22nd year, the ball is traditionally one of the most highly attended student events at Grand Valley. This year’s theme is "A Red Carpet Affair," and it will showcase many of Grand Valley's talented students with performances by groups After School Special and Midnite Snack. There will also be a performance by students from the Grand Valley Dance Department and the premiere of a student short film winner.

The director of Grand Valley’s Sustainability Initiative, Norman Christopher, will be honored as Grand Valley’s Distinguished Individual of the Year. Political science professor Darren Walhof will be given the Student Award for Faculty Excellence. The winner of the Presidential Appreciation Award will be revealed at the event.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by dinner at 6:30. The dance is expected to go from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Thanks to a partnership with the Rapid, city buses will provide rides for the students eager to dance the night away.

All students, faculty and staff and community members are invited to attend this campus tradition. Tickets for the dance $5 are $10 at the door. For more information contact the Grand Valley State University Student Senate at (616) 331-2333 or e-mail at [email protected].