There has been minor outrage expressed over at the GW Hatchet blogs due to the announcement that Program Board and the Mount Vernon Programming Council will be co-producing a single spring concert / party, “Fountain Fling,” instead of the traditionally separate Fountain Day and Spring Fling events. Such an outcry is not unexpected, but it is misguided. Instead of focusing on the Vern’s relatively small gymnasium and the hassle of taking the Vern Express, students should realize that, in combining the events, the resulting Fountain Fling has a much larger budget and better resources than either event individually.
Yes, I ran against the current PB administration in last month’s student body elections. But as Program Board IT Chair I completely agree with the decision to combine Fountain Day and Spring Fling. The creation of Fountain Fling is not so much a reaction to the unavailability of the Smith Center, as it is a decision to provide the best experience possible to students. Both PB and PC have limited budgets for events and cannot rely on additional funding from the university. Renting a venue outside GW, or holding the event on University Yard but using the Vern as a rain site, are both unrealistic suggestions due to budgetary constraints. Instead of spending unnecessary funds on a “better” venue, PB and PC have combined their resources to bring a better band to campus. The student body will be pleased — so long as we continue to hope, as we hope every year, for a rainless day.
We have to make the best of our divided campus; we either ignore the Vern completely, or embrace what it adds to GW. I agree with one commenter that “the Vern is not and should not be considered a ‘last resort.’ ” If we want to achieve community at GW, we have to unite the Foggy Bottom and Mt. Vernon campuses despite their geographical distance. In the interest of community, it makes sense to have one major events on Foggy Bottom, and another major event at Mt. Vernon. The shuttle ride is unfortunate but bearable; certainly no worse than a walk from E St to I St. Fountain Fling is a step in the right direction: towards collaboration and away from ignorance.
I do have one concern, however: how we will differentiate between Fall Fest and Fountain Fling, now that both bear the acronym FF?
