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Members of Delta Sigma Theta pose for a selfie photo in the Mary Idema Pew Library atrium during the Blackout showcase.

GVSU in Photos, February 2026: Celebrating Black History Month, more success for champions and a longstanding Laker tradition

BY University Communications
Image credit - Top image by Emily Riddle

Mar 2, 2026
Left: a person wearing a colorful shaw and silver jewelry smiles. Right: A person bends over to prop up a cardboard cutout of a groundhog.
Ayebah Wilson is the new assistant director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, left. At right, Jake Marg, assistant director of Maintenance, sets up a groundhog display in the underground tunnels as part of the Groundhog Day & Sustainability Celebration at Lake Ontario Hall on February 2.
Image credit - Left: Kendra Stanley-Mills; Right: Cory Morse
Two people wearing red winter hats embrace with big smiles on their faces.
A’zla Robinson, a senior nursing major, shares a warm hug with Jasiah, a first-year student, during the Blackout showcase in the Mary Idema Pew Library atrium.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
Left: a person is silhouetted as they push a cart through the hallway of a building. Right: A person raises their hands as they conduct musicians in a theatre.
Left, a person is silhouetted as they push a cart through a hallway of the DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) on February 13. Right, Tyreece Guyton conducts the Family Soul Collective as part of the 40th annual the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at Wealthy Theatre on February 4. The event was rescheduled from January 19 due to inclement weather.
Image credit - Left and right: Kendra Stanley-Mills
Two college students smile as they crouch down to play a game of curling.
Recreation and Wellness teamed up with Campus View to bring the first-ever curling area named the “Campus View Courtyard” to the Valley Campus. Students, from left, Macayla Cramer and Logan Panoff try out curling on February 12.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
The sunlight casts shadows on curling stones of red and blue.
The setting sun of February 12 falls across curling stones on the first-ever curling area named the “Campus View Courtyard” on the Valley Campus.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
An astronaut speaks with a microphone in their hands with sparkling lights in the foreground.
Jeanette J. Epps speaks as part of Black History Month: Reaching New Heights at the University Club on the City Campus February 20. Epps is an aerospace engineer, former CIA intelligence officer, and retired NASA astronaut who spent over 230 days aboard the International Space Station as a mission specialist for SpaceX Crew-8.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
Orchestra members are reflected into the bell of a trombone.
Students are reflected in a trombone during a rehearsal of Joel Schut's Grand Valley Symphony Orchestra class at the Louis Armstrong Theatre on February 23.
Image credit - Cory Morse
A drummer wearing cultural clothing smiles as young dancers circle.
The West Michigan Jewels of Africa perform during the 40th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at Wealthy Theatre on February 4. The event was rescheduled from January 19 due to inclement weather.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
A person is silhouetted in golden light filtering through a window.
Christine Mutch, program manager of Cook Leadership Academy, is silhouetted as Mutch and others listen to President Philomena V. Mantella gives a HerStory presentation at the L. William Seidman Center on the City Campus February 19.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
A student laughs as they work on art in a art room setting.
Ottawa Area ISD student Josiah Reed makes a puppet with GVSU art education majors as part of Katalin Zaszlavik's ART 333 class on February 5.
Image credit - Cory Morse
Sorority sisters dance on the gymnasium basketball floor during halftime.
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. perform a unity stroll to celebrate Black History Month during halftime of the GVSU men’s basketball game against Parkside at the Fieldhouse Arena on February 14.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
A person uses arm braces while doing soccer drills on green turf.
Physical therapy student Caleb Griffith practices mobility with crutches as part of an amputee soccer clinic at the Grand Rapids Soccer Society on February 8.
Image credit - Cory Morse
A college student walks across a blue metal bridge while their face is concealed by a large winter coat and hood.
A pedestrian bundled up in a winter coat crosses the Little Mac Bridge on the Valley Campus February 12.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
Four people all laugh as they look at a computer screen showing photos of themselves.
(From left) TRIO Upward Bound program coordinator Yessenia Aguillon, TRIO Upward Bound Assistant Director Bonnie Jaracz, criminal justice major Evalyn Vazquez and public and nonprofit administration major Melisa Ramirez react as they look at pictures they took of themselves as part of National TRIO Day at the Kirkhof Center on February 24.
Image credit - Cory Morse
Two faculty members in academic regalia stand together while one holds an award.
Provost Jennifer Drake, left, and Adrienne Wallace, associate professor of advertising and public relations, are pictured during the Faculty Awards Convocation on February 10 in the Loosemore Auditorium on the City Campus. Wallace gave the keynote address and was recognized with a Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award.
Image credit - Cory Morse
A sun bursts shows behind a bronze statue of a chief.
The February sunshine highlights the bronze statue of Noahquageshik. The sculpture was recently moved from outside the Eberhard Center to the L. William Seidman Center to prepare for the upcoming construction work for the Blue Dot Lab. A plaque informs viewers that Noahquageshik (circa 1770-1840) was an influential leader of the Grand River Ottawa Anishinabe (Original People) who led bands of the Ottawa throughout the Grand River basin.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
A group of people hold their hands and their arm braces into a circle.
GVSU students along with members and patients of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital take part in an amputee soccer clinic at the Grand Rapids Soccer Society on February 8.
Image credit - Cory Morse
A group of people in suits mingle together while smiling.
President Philomena V. Mantella and College of Computing Dean Marouane Kessentini, far right, talk to the crowd before a press conference at the DeVos Center on the City Campus announcing federal support for GVSU's new West Michigan Trustworthy AI Consortium on February 18.
Image credit - Cory Morse
A group of faculty, staff and college students hold up paddles that read "Reach Higher"
Students, faculty and staff celebrate as the Board of Trustees on February 6 approved a revised university strategic plan, Reach Higher Together, that commits to increasing the university’s impact on its students and the communities it serves.
Image credit - Kendra Stanley-Mills
A person shows a camera to a college mascot Louie the Laker.
Louie the Laker approves a photo that Brienne Forgette, academic department coordinator, took of him at the Statistics signing event February 27.
Image credit - Simon Zwart
A university president climbs a later with a women's basketball player to cut the net.
President Philomena V. Mantella climbs the ladder to help cut down the nets after being invited up by player Paige VanStee as the Lakers celebrated their GLIAC regular-season championship win over Ferris State on February 26 in the Fieldhouse Arena.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
A college women's basketball team celebrate together.
Grand Valley women’s basketball players celebrate their victory over Ferris State University with piggyback rides, including Paige VanStee hoisting Avery Zeinstra and MacKenzie Bisballe lifting Molly Anderson with help from Lexi Plitzuweit, on February 26 in the Fieldhouse Arena.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
Two college students lay on benches on a university campus.
Biology major Taylor Berns, left, and allied health sciences major Lily Kooyer sit outside Mackinac Hall on February 18.
Image credit - Cory Morse
Several people dance excitedly with their hands in the air.
Students dance excitedly at the Presidents' Ball at GLC Live at 20 Monroe February 28.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
People dance while rolling their hands.
Students show off their stunning outfits at the Presidents' Ball at GLC Live at 20 Monroe February 28.
Image credit - Emily Riddle
Students take to the dance floor at the President's Ball at GLC Live at 20 Monroe February 28.
Students take to the dance floor at the Presidents' Ball at GLC Live at 20 Monroe February 28.
Image credit - Eliana McGlinchey

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