By Caroline Dehn
When I arrived on campus during the summer of 2018, I felt a combination of nerves and excitement as I unpacked my suitcases and claimed my bed in a Thurston quad. After taking some time to settle in, I learned the places to go, food to eat, and school customs that were passed down to each proceeding class. Whether that was dancing on tables at Crepeaway, late night monumenting, or discovering that Gallery mozzarella sticks were significantly superior to Carvings’, there were certain things we all just did as a GW underclassman.
Returning sophomore year and knowing that my class would not be the “little freshmen” anymore, it was time for us to show our younger peers the ropes of how to navigate campus life. Dancing at Decades or Opera, turned into Abigail or Sax; Crepeaway was so last year, and CityTap became the new spot. Being a sophomore fostered a newfound confidence of knowing the campus. This, coupled with the freedom that post-grad plans aren’t too near in sight, made fall of 2019 feel like a dream – until COVID-19 hit.
When the first announcements of COVID-19’s impact and lock-downs in other areas around the world arose, like many other college students, I was devastated: GW had just started to feel like home. After taking the 2020-2021 year off from school and returning as a junior, I realized that the graduating class of 2023 will be the only class left who has experienced the pre-covid GW.
I was personally lucky to have a year and a half on campus before being sent home in March of 2020, but very few others will be in the same boat as me next year. Experiencing both pre and post-covid GW, I have found that there is a shift in the culture at GW between students before and during the pandemic. Though it is not a fault of their own, the implications of not experiencing GW pre-pandemic are significant, especially since the underclassmen never even had the chance to fulfill all of those classic highschool milestones–proms, graduations, and other senior traditions–which were canceled or rescheduled for the safety of the kids.
I often think about the ways GW has changed over the years and I am curious what traditions will remain come fall of 2022 and which ones may leave with the spring 2022 graduates. Thurston Hall’s old, eerie hallways will be unrecognizable after the completed renovation, dining halls are set to replace classic GW staples, and the incoming freshman class won’t be graduating until 2026… scary.
Despite concerns over traditions lost and unconventional highschool and college experiences, I am hopeful that new customs will arise with the new generation of the post-pandemic GW students. Regardless, one thing that has undoubtedly stayed the same is the love (balanced with hate) we have for this school and the determination to make our own mark on the world. But for now, congratulations to the class of 2022 and I can’t wait to see what the next school year brings!
