Perhaps the most disappointing part of last week for me came when I read about the plans for George Mason and Georgetown universities' preseason basketball celebrations in The Hatchet ("Area schools beef up baskteball events, Oct. 5 p.1). The story reported that as both of those schools expand their season-opening events, GW administrators had no plans to introduce and promote our men's and women's teams for their 2006-2007 seasons.
The hold-up appeared to be budget-related. Even with last year's 26-1 record-setting men's regular season, administrators do not want to pay for an expensive Colonials Invasion this year. Not only have the players and fans earned a major celebration, but such an event would also make up for its cost by providing publicity for the school. The University must recognize the success of our basketball program by making some sort of major celebration a budget priority.
An event such as Colonials Invasion should be seen less as a budget burden and more as an investment in the future of GW basketball. It seems as if our team attracts more fans from within the school than it does from the city itself. A large-scale, well-publicized event to mark the beginning of the season could change that.
In this regard, we should take a lesson from Georgetown's extravagant celebration, which will attract many people from outside that university's community. Even if an event is brought back, one relying on posters around campus and mass e-mails to Colonial Mail accounts just doesn't cut it. GW could hold a street fair around the Smith Center, hosting vendors from around the city to attract fans from all over D.C. I envision something like a Saturday block party, which could raise revenue and drum up spirit for the Colonials' first practice of the season.
The University has cut budgets across the board, but GW's spending in one area requires a reevaluation. GW athletic teams, especially basketball, have experienced increased success over the past few years, and administrators should prioritize these teams accordingly. It is surprising that successful administrators would fail to capitalize on such an opportunity.
The hold-up appeared to be budget-related. Even with last year's 26-1 record-setting men's regular season, administrators do not want to pay for an expensive Colonials Invasion this year. Not only have the players and fans earned a major celebration, but such an event would also make up for its cost by providing publicity for the school. The University must recognize the success of our basketball program by making some sort of major celebration a budget priority.
An event such as Colonials Invasion should be seen less as a budget burden and more as an investment in the future of GW basketball. It seems as if our team attracts more fans from within the school than it does from the city itself. A large-scale, well-publicized event to mark the beginning of the season could change that.
In this regard, we should take a lesson from Georgetown's extravagant celebration, which will attract many people from outside that university's community. Even if an event is brought back, one relying on posters around campus and mass e-mails to Colonial Mail accounts just doesn't cut it. GW could hold a street fair around the Smith Center, hosting vendors from around the city to attract fans from all over D.C. I envision something like a Saturday block party, which could raise revenue and drum up spirit for the Colonials' first practice of the season.
The University has cut budgets across the board, but GW's spending in one area requires a reevaluation. GW athletic teams, especially basketball, have experienced increased success over the past few years, and administrators should prioritize these teams accordingly. It is surprising that successful administrators would fail to capitalize on such an opportunity.
