Students and faculty enjoyed mild autumn weather Saturday as they toured the Potomac River on a cruise sponsored by GW’s Student Academic and Support Services.

GW sponsors the Odyssey Cruise to build connections between students and faculty members in a social atmosphere, said Bridget Cooper, assistant to the vice president for SASS.

Last year we held the cruise as a Welcome Week activity for incoming students only, Cooper said. But it was so popular we decided to bring it back this year and open it up to everyone.

The Odyssey Cruise left from the Gangplank Marina in Southwest, D.C., with 350 students and 50 faculty members on board. Students paid $15 for tickets.

We wanted to find an activity that would bring students together with administrators that would be a fun conversation starter, Cooper said. And we wanted it to be away from the usual GW area.

Bob Chernak, vice president of SASS, talked with students at the event, which offered light fare, including chips and salsa, fruit and vegetables, spring rolls and fries.

We are encouraged to make contact with the students, and several students have come up to me, Chernak said. (The cruise is) a good community feeling.

Although all students were invited to attend, SASS placed special emphasis on bringing freshmen to the event, Cooper said.

We want the freshmen to reach out to administrators early in their careers and make contacts that they need to get through the GW system, she said.

Freshmen Caleb Overstreet and Geoff Delizzo said they think the cruise accomplished its goals.

It’s a great opportunity to interact with the faculty on an informal, social level, Delizzo said.

The cruise boat featured two indoor rooms, both including a dance floor, disc jockey, food and drinks. An outdoor patio area wrapped around the entire boat where people viewed the Washington Monument, The Awakening sculpture, the Capitol and the Kennedy Center pass by.

The Hippotones, GW’s all-male a cappella ensemble, and the Pitches, GW’s all-female a cappella ensemble, performed during the cruise, along with freshmen Matt Briggs and Adam Richman, who played as a guitar duo.

This is a great event, Briggs said. It was great to play in front of students.

Each student also had the opportunity to win prizes if they could open a treasure chest with a key they received when they boarded the boat.

Graduate student Joetta Harty opened the chest and won a $250 gift certificate to efollett.com, the online division of the GW Bookstore.

As the cruise continued, the dance floor became packed as University Police officers and students danced together to the electric slide.

I wish I had gone last year too because it was really good, sophomore Elana Katz said.

Students and faculty agreed that the cruise was a fun event for everyone who attended.

I’m excited to hear some positive response and we’ll see if we’ll do it again next year, Cooper said.