Andrew Springer, a senior and co-general manager of GWTV, says GW’s float for the inaugural parade is too costly:
“In November, The Hatchet reported that the University will invest the equivalent of nearly two years of one student’s tuition money on a float that will be used a grand total of once. Am I the only one who thinks that’s too much?”
Read the full column here.
Commentary from the opinions editors, op-ed columnists and The Hatchet's Editorial Board
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The problem with growing up is that there is always someone telling us we are not old enough. And yet, you would think that as young adults, we would finally be over it.
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Vol. 109
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Serving The George Washington University Community Since 1904
I certainly see where you are coming from, believing that this is too much for a float for GW.
I however, believe that you are mistaken and that this float is a terrific idea. This year GW is the only college/university to participate in the parade. Aren’t you proud of that? Don’t you have school spirit knowing that during your years here at GW the school your paying for took part in this historic election? $85,000 is a lot, thats a no brainer. But everyone I have talked to is super excited to see what their fellow students have been able to do on this float. Students are literally putting their education to use and constructing this from scratch. I have no doubt the university could have paid a company to produce a float…do you think that would have been less than $85,000? Because I highly doubt it. I know the university would have never supported this plan unless it knew it could be done in a manner where it would be represented in a respectful manner. As for the estimate of $350,000…it was an estimate and it was wrong. Be glad it wasn’t more. As for the design, its a graphic that was created on a computer. It certainly isn’t going to look exactly like that when it rolls down Pennsylvania Avenue.
In response to your two Starbucks drinks per student, seriously? You think that is a better use of money? Something tells me there would be a much bigger fuss from The Hatchet if that happened.
Take pride that you are a Colonial here during such an historic time in this country’s history. We are four blocks from the White House, right here in the middle of everything. Students should utilize the resources of this city and so should this school. Would you rather GW just shut its doors during this time and ignore the world until the inauguration was over?
Yes, 85,000$ is a lot of money, but in respect to the amount of money GW takes in every year it is a small price to pay.
Students took up the initiative to petition the Board of Trustees, the Administration, and fellow students to support this project. If you want GW’s money to go toward buying books, bring it to the administration. If you are complaining about the price tag of this float stop sitting and writing angry articles and talk to the right people. And don’t say that you can’t…I recently saw that President Knapp advertised his office hours in this very paper.
Also, there are a few things wrong with your description of the float.
1)There are no scientists doing an experiment. We have replaced that section with a stage set up with Barack Obama’s own words to usher in the new administration, recognizing that we do have a long road ahead of us.
2) The art student is not finishing the bust on the float because it is simply impracticle.
3) The float may be used again in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in the Spring.
4) The 350,000$ price tag was IF we went through a 3rd party float producer, hence why we decided to build it ourselves.
5) And you might want to crunch your numbers again.
Just so you all know, the average float constructed by professional designers ranges from 295,000$ to 410,000$
Additionally, those companies who built floats used in the parade on the 20th typically don’t deliver their product until Jan 19- leaving the consumer a half of a day to adjust and take in their float.
TYPICAL GW. A waste of money, a waste of time, what a joke. They have students hungry, in need of health insurance and they have the “audacity” to spend money on some idiot float. Does GW [the man] know that the community thinks of them as elitist, nasty snobs? Maybe that should have been on the float! Oh if I could really say what I thought. . . :) I will save that for my blog. . . see you there!