The excitement on campus last week for one of Program Board’s annual marquee events, Spring Fling, was high.

But the event was rained out and moved to the Smith Center, where only 800 students could attend due to building restrictions. Many of the additional perks of having an outdoor Spring Fling – booths, beer and a DJ – were canceled. The fact that a well-planned event was marred by poor weather is not anyone’s fault, but it does highlight the need for more University-wide events on campus.

As the new Program Board chair takes office, we encourage him to continue the tradition of large fall and spring events with the addition of hosting smaller block parties throughout the year.

Spring Fling should not be the only opportunity for the GW community to have the same feeling of state-school unity that so many of our friends at neighboring universities enjoy. The University should still try to create a campus spirit using the resources we have right in the student body.

The University is teeming with talent that can go unnoticed by the bulk of the student body because of the sheer number of student performing groups on campus. With an event that features GW performers, students would be engaged and invested in making the day excellent, and an alternate rain date would not cost Program Board huge sums of money.

A student-focused end-of-the-year event could coincide with the campus Chalk-In, which is sponsored by the University Counseling Center. This event has gone on for three decades and falls just before spring finals. While H Street is closed and students are afforded an opportunity to take a break from studying anyway, a larger event could provide the GW community with an excellent opportunity to showcase talent or enjoy some homegrown music.

Events like these would, of course, press another cost upon Program Board. It would require more planning and budgeting, but with time, this event could become a campus tradition á la Spring Fling. To encourage the growth of outdoor concerts and block parties, we believe the Student Association and even the University should work to provide further funding for Program Board by earmarking funds for these block parties.

We just want more opportunities for the student body to come together and enjoy the excellent weather before we retreat back into Gelman and then leave for the summer. These events don’t have to be showy or bring big names, they should just unite the student body one more time before the year is over.