Saturday was the Program Board’s annual Fall Fest – the organization’s big event for the fall semester. Unfortunately, the number of people who showed up on the Quad to see the bands, eat free food and participate in the activities was low. While some schools host huge all-day events that attract a large number of students, here at GW – in the middle of a large metropolitan area with all its attractions – an event like Fall Fest is hard-pressed to pull in a huge student crowd.

In light of the low turnout in the past several years, perhaps it is time Program Board rethink Fall Fest to entice more students to come out and enjoy the potentially unifying event.

This year’s Fall Fest was held later in the semester than usual, and the event lacked an all-encompassing theme. None of the activities offered held students’ attention or interest long enough to entice them to spend hours on the Quad.

In addition, bands are extremely expensive to get and booking them usually must be done months in advance. But a large crowd would surely show up if a “big-name” band was scheduled to play at Fall Fest. In the past, bands like the Lemonheads, Goldfinger and Coolio have drawn disappointing crowds to campus venues. This year’s band, Percy Hill, was no different.

Given the lackluster turnout, perhaps Program Board should reconsider the way it plans Fall Fest. If few students turn up for an event that cost thousands of dollars to produce and hundreds of hours to organize, then is it worth all the effort? In the future, organizers should find creative ways to attract students who are faced with countless ways to spend their Saturday afternoons, or Fall Fest’s resources should go toward events that will draw more student interest.