Freshman Allison Shawcross said even if she did not have a scheduling conflict she would not attend University President Steven Knapp’s inauguration Friday morning.
“Even though the event is a significant part of GW’s history, I feel like my time can be better spent on a Friday,” Shawcross said. “If it was on a weekend or at night, I’d be more inclined to go.”
Of 82 interviewed by The Hatchet Wednesday, 80 percent said they have heard about Knapp’s inauguration, but only 5 percent said they actually plan on attending Knapp’s inauguration ceremony at Smith Center Friday morning.
“I like (Knapp) a lot,” Shawcross said. “(He has) good goals for the future of GW.he seems like a good person.”
Junior John Oner has sentiments similar to Shawcross’. He said he respects Knapp but does not plan to attend the inauguration ceremony because he is too busy.
“He’s a great guy,” Oner said, adding that at the hunger banquet held earlier this week, Knapp was willing to sit on the floor and eat rice. “He seems like a genuine guy . he is on top of the ball as any president should be.”
The University has sent out at least four schoolwide e-mails and has posted signs and banners advertising the inauguration and its related activities.
“Students have been marketed to in a number of ways,” said Tracy Schario, a spokesperson for the University. “It’s been a multi-channel promotion.”
Although students said the University did a good job advertising the event, some said the amount of advertising went overboard.
“It is a bombardment of information, but that’s how GW gets the information out there,” sophomore Alex Goldstick said.
Sophomore Julian Smith agreed with Goldstick about the amount of advertising being done for the event.
“It’s kind of creepy,” Smith said.
The University has also encouraged faculty to “talk up” inauguration events, Schario said. e.
Schario said, “GW has a tremendous history of having long serving presidents, it’s been 18 years since President Trachtenberg’s inauguration … We anticipate it could be another 20 years or so before we have another presidential inauguration.”
