This past Labor Day weekend was one that GW should be proud of. Fall Fest was well-planned, well-attended and entertaining, and the more intimate FoBoGro and Tonic Welcome Back Party and BBQ proved that many sponsors could come together to host a fun event aimed at simply welcoming students back to campus. The success of these events proves that students respond well to the right coordination and programming, and this means that GW should try to replicate that success throughout the year by following the examples of Fall Fest and the BBQ.
Program Board, the Student Association and the other sponsors of Saturday’s Fall Fest managed to arrange programming that students liked, and the combination of the on-stage entertainment and the free giveaways drew thousands of students to University Yard. On Sunday, students were able to stop by Anniversary Park next to FoBoGro for the Welcome Back Party and BBQ. This event was sponsored by Tonic, FoBoGro, the SA, the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council, and showed that when various organizations work together on an event, the students ultimately benefit.
We’ve all heard it before: GW lacks a sense of community but PB and SA-sponsored events attempt to negate that idea. But they aren’t always successful, as one could look to previous Fall Fests or George Washington’s Birthday Celebrations. What was notable about last weekend’s events was that they did not feel forced, manufactured or over-programmed. Fall Fest featured entertainment and a few sideshow attractions, but it wasn’t interrupted by speeches from sponsors or administrators. Food, music and the inviting atmosphere fueled the BBQ, and it did not require students to sign up for anything or listen to a speaker. In the past, GW events have fallen into this summer camp-style or speaker-oriented model that tries to bring students together but often falls flat. But if GW wants to promote better school spirit and community on campus, the University should consider that many students respond well to music, free food and a candid atmosphere.
With the Center for Alcohol and Drug Education’s guidance and the help of all of the sponsors, the Welcome Back BBQ in particular brought in Tonic and FoBoGro as vendors and featured free alcohol. Though typically missing from GW-sponsored programming, the presence of alcohol at the BBQ showed that students can be responsible and that the organizations handled that facet of the programming well. We hope to see a similar type of cooperation between the University and student-run organizations again.
GW has an opportunity to capitalize on this programming and host similar events throughout the year. With the help of the University, the Student Association and Program Board, other student organizations can host events that are just as attractive to and beneficial for students. For example, the Colonial Army can plan pre-game day events for the men’s basketball team. If they are put on in the same style as the Tonic and FoBoGro BBQ, they are sure to draw large crowds and promote a sense of school spirit that is necessary before a sporting event. This is the type of programming that has been missing at GW, and so it is not surprising that there is a perceived lack of spirit on campus. But Fall Fest and smaller events such as the Welcome Back BBQ prove that spirit and community on campus can be revived. Long weekends are outliers among the days of the school year, but the events of this past holiday weekend shouldn’t be.
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