Michigan Tech hosted its annual Keweenaw Day on Friday, Sep. 8, 2023, at Centennial Park in Chassell from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students witnessed the bustling arrangements of booths displaying the huge variety of student organizations at MTU. There was something going on at every corner of the park, from simple trivia games for candies and snacks to a huge dunk tank hosted by Sigma Phi Epsilon. 

First-year Computer Science student Sam Rios explains his surprise and expectations coming into K-Day. “I was expecting a little area where we could just find some clubs, but so far, I’ve been finding a bunch of different clubs and even enterprises. It’s been really cool just exploring all the different activities that there are to offer here at MTU,” he told The Lode. 

With clear skies and a sunny view, K-Day 2023 avoided being rained out like its predecessor in 2022; students could enjoy the sun walking through the array of booths, or join many of the large-scale activities occurring throughout the park, such as the Canoe Race hosted my MTU’s Outdoor Adventure Program or OAP. “It’s a single canoe race, one person in each canoe. Whoever wins … gets a free T-shirt,” explained Grayson Dunham, OAP’s manager. If you strayed away from the water, you may have built up a sweat in the inflatable obstacle and jousting courses or from dancing alongside MTU’s Pep Band. 

Overall, K-Day has become a melting pot of excitement, evolving from a time for students to come together and enjoy the warm weather in the 1950s to being one of MTU’s most beloved traditions. At K-Day, student organizations advertised their events and opportunities while attendees made new connections, found their community, and if you were lucky, saw a parading gorilla.