Wednesday night I was listening to GW election coverage on WRTV (AM 600) and heard an interview with one of the candidates, I believe it was Alan Elias. He stated his concern about the lack of GW community, unity and school pride. He proposed to solve this problem by increasing the quality of programs groups like Program Board and the Student Association bring to campus. He communicated his personal wish that we work to bring musical groups such as the Wallflowers and the Dave Matthews Band to GW in order to promote campus pride.

Putting aside my own feelings about these particular groups, I do not see how bringing outside acts and art can promote a stronger and closer GW community. I do not want to attack Mr. Elias, but instead I propose my ideas to all newly-elected student officials. We have wonderful art, theater, dance and music on campus already, among our various student organizations. It is this we need to put SA and PB effort into promoting.

During my short time at this University, the one thing that has bothered me more than both lack of up-to-date technology and the administration’s reluctance to put money into necessary University organizations such as student radio, is the fact that the arts are all but ignored by the part of the student population not directly involved with them.

Instead of spending time and money to make arts on campus more visible and recognized by the University in general, the organizations responsible for entertainment on campus target their efforts toward bringing in outside acts, groups, etc. This situation is worsened by the fact that, many times, student newspapers choose not to review student productions and instead give us information about movies, plays and concerts that happen off campus.

In last Monday’s issue of The Hatchet, a review of “Arcadia” was included. Although I was glad to see The Hatchet covering student art, I was dismayed to find that by reading the rest of the issue one would never know two other student-produced plays (“Stay” and “The Burning Cycle,” both written by students) also were running.

I say to Elias, and the rest of our student politicians, that if you want to promote a feeling of campus community and pride, spend time promoting programs such as CPAC, Generic Theatre, the GW Pitches, the dance department – and the list could go on and on. Help show the student body what a wealth of fantastic art and talent we have here at GW.