“This is a day of celebration”: GVSU community participates in Election Day

"This is a day of celebration," President Philomena V. Mantella said following a performance from the Laker Marching Band. "It's the day that we get to celebrate the rights we have in this country, to lift our voices, express our point of view and make a difference."

Mantella drew attention to GVSU's high voter participation. During the last election, GVSU student voter participation increased 11 percentage points from the previous election, while nationwide voter participation decreased by 8.5 percent.

"It's easy to say, 'I'm just one of a million, of 50 million, of 100 million.' But without the 'one-ofs,' we never get to really have our opinion expressed and have it become action."

Grand Valley is also a participant in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge's Presidential Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation .