As programming chairs of the Program Board we are disappointed that The GW Hatchet found Fall Fest to be a lackluster event (“Falter Fest“). Contrary to the editorial, statistics taken at the event show that 3,024 members of the GW community enjoyed the event – an increase of almost a thousand students from last year.
Prior to organizing the event, both the general body and the executive board discussed in detail many of the same concerns the editorial addressed about the merits of Fall Fest and whether even to host the event at all. We came to the conclusion that Fall Fest is a valid program and one of only a few traditions still in place at this University . If GW wants to become an institution respected for its traditions, then we must support each others’ efforts in this area.
We did decide to change the event in several ways. We booked all new amusements except two, received corporate sponsorship from an international record company, played live music all day and worked in cooperation with six fraternities, all of which has never been done before.
As for the music, the headliner, Percy Hill, sells out the Bayou every year and is returning there in October. Dead Girls and Other Stories has played at Lilith Fair and the H.O.R.D.E. tour, among other venues. It is reasonable to assume these credentials were decent enough to invite them to play at Fall Fest.
In the past, we have had numerous problems with the weather and that is the main reason we did not spend an inordinate amount of our budget on one event. Instead, we have a major act coming in November, soon to be revealed to the general GW community, and more than 10 committees planning events for the rest of this year.
The Program Board perceived the format of this year’s Fall Fest to be conducive to a steady flow of participants, rather than the ebbs and flows of past years, and this proved to be true. Indeed, many people did stay all day, brought their homework and sat and ate watermelon while enjoying the beautiful weather.
We suggest that before The Hatchet prints an editorial in the future, it fully investigate all aspects of an event and the process that actually went into planning it to see if maybe their criticism had already been taken into account earlier in the planning process.
If anyone has any ideas for programs, comments or suggestions, we would love to hear their voices at our general meetings every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Marvin Center.
We hope the three thousand people who attended Fall Fest had a great time and will continue to enjoy our upcoming events. Fall Fest will continue to be a University tradition only as long as students support it and we are happy that so many found it worthy this year.
-Heidi Wicker and Shreema Sanghvi
GW Program Board
