October 19, 2005

Working for the Colonials Weekend

Jon Stewart, Boston Pops to Entertain GW Families and Alumni

BY JULIA JACOBELLI

GW will celebrate family and friends during the fourth annual Colonials Weekend, Oct. 21–23.

This year’s event features the Cabaret Showcase in the Marvin Center, put on by students of theatre and dance, and two Jon Stewart shows on Friday night. Saturday morning opens with the Colonials Weekend welcome, followed by Colonials Village, Octoberfest at the Mount Vernon Campus, and the Boston Pops concert in the evening. Sunday morning the weekend winds down with a jazz brunch in the Marvin Center. Throughout the day on Saturday, parents and alumni can attend various lectures as well as dean’s receptions in the schools.

“We want parents to be able to pick and choose what they want to do,” said Rodney Johnson, special assistant to the senior vice president for student and academic support services, and head of freshman and parent services. “The main thing is that you’re with your student.”

GW’s comprehensive version of homecoming weekend began after Sept. 11, 2001, when the attacks on the country forced the cancellation of Alumni Weekend. Previously, the events had always been separate. Family Weekend centered on “Midnight Madness,” the first official night for NCAA basketball teams to practice. The merger of alumni weekend and parents weekend resulted in the first joint event the following year. Since then, Colonials Weekend has become a GW tradition.

“It didn’t make sense to have two similar weekends within a month of each other,” said Stacey Martin, senior director of advancement and alumni programs. “We are trying to build a tradition with Colonials Weekend.”

Martin adds that alumni use the weekend as a chance to come back and be a part of the university again. A large number of alumni still live in the DC area. She says although the alumni can drive through campus to see the new developments of the University, Colonials Weekend gives them a chance to attend lectures, mingle with students, and reconnect with old friends and professors.

Johnson agrees that Colonials Weekend is a community event. Although there are events that are strictly for alumni, and events strictly for family and current students, he said, there are lots of events for both groups.

For more information about Colonials Weekend events see page 11, or visit www.gwu.edu/~alumni/cw/ or gwired.gwu.edu/parents/
ColonialsWeekend/Schedule/.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu