Junior Eric Wiegand said he wants to create a monthly “Happy Hour” and add more “mature programming” as Program Board executive chair next year. Wiegand, PB’s executive vice chair this year, was elected to his new position last week.
Wiegand, who ran unopposed, said he hopes to bring leadership and professionalism to the top PB position. He said his goals for next year are to bring more students to PB events and create activities that appeal to a broader audience.
“Programs have been somewhat parochial in recent years and didn’t push the envelope,” Wiegand said.
He said a monthly “Happy Hour” would be a place where GW students could meet people their own age. He also proposed senior activity nights.
The PB, which receives funding from the Student Activities Center but is run by students, plans a variety of events each year including internship fairs, concerts, Spring Fling and Fall Fest. PB’s budget is between $200,000 and $300,000, according to past Hatchet articles.
Wiegand said he is excited to be in charge of “the whole shebang.”
“I am a big supporter of Eric,” said Jonathan Reiling, current PB executive chair. “I’ve known him for a long time now and I think he’ll do a good job.”
Reiling said Wiegand will be in charge of the executive board and nine programming committees.
“Everyone is doing something at once,” said Reiling, adding that he spends about 25 hours per week in his office.
Sophomore Tyler Coffey will serve alongside Wiegand as executive vice chair next year. He also ran uncontested.
Last year, three students ran for executive chair and one student ran for executive vice chair. Reiling said he is not concerned that the race was not more competitive this spring.
“Usually when one person is running it’s someone who has shown a great deal of leadership in the organization,” he said.
Coffey, who currently serves as PB advertising chair, said he wants to focus on events students would enjoy, which PB has strayed from in recent years.
“I’d like to see more original programming and a stronger effort to reach out to students,” Coffey said.
While all students can run for executive vice chair, only a member of the PB executive board can run for executive chair.
Reiling said he is supportive of Coffey, citing his creativity as an important attribute.
Wiegand said an executive vice chair does “behind the scenes” work an has a “somewhat clerical” position, figuring out space requests and co-sponsorships.
Reiling said next year’s executive board must do a great deal of work to compete with this year’s board.
“We had a lot of great successes here,” he said. “Ben Folds was the first show open to both GW students and the public, and (comedian Dave) Chappelle sold out in five days.”
-Bryn Lansdowne contributed to this report.
