Colonials Invasion, the basketball season’s opening event, will feature an entertainer after a one-year hiatus.
GW spirit director Nicole Macchione-Early said the event will be held Oct. 26 at Smith Center. She said the University cannot announce the performer because a contract has not yet been signed.
“It will be something different that has not been done in the past, something that students will be really excited for,” she said.
Macchione-Early also said that the organizers received “a lot of student input” in deciding who the entertainer should be.
In a departure from previous years, the event will be part of a weeklong program called Spirit Week that will incorporate many different events.
“The whole idea is to get people excited about the big event on Friday (Oct. 26),” Macchione-Early said.
Doors for the event will open at 8 p.m. and it will run between an hour and 45 minutes and two hours, Macchione-Early said. It will be open to all students with a GWorld and admittance practices will mirror those of basketball games.
In place of Colonials Invasion last year, the GW Spirit program put on an event in Kogan Plaza called “Spirit of the Night,” which was an introduction to both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and their coaches. It also included a laser light and music show.
In addition to the performer, some elements from “Spirit of the Night” will be carried over to Colonials Invasion. There will be contests, prizes, giveaways, and the student body will be introduced to the cheerleaders, dance team and mascots, Macchione-Early said.
Another goal of Spirit Week is to incorporate the entire athletics department, not just the basketball programs, into the activities. Junior David Earl, the associate vice president for student activities for the Student Association and one of the hosts of the event, said Colonials Invasion is meant to get students excited about GW athletics in general, not just to hype up the basketball season.
“We’re doing our best to involve other athletes, although the primary focus is on basketball,” Macchione-Early said. “We’re making sure that students know who the basketball teams are: the players, the coaches. We want to make sure that these students are interested and excited about the season.”
Macchione-Early praised the SA’s involvement in the return of Colonials Invasion. She said that SA President Nicole Capp made a push to bring the event back and that the organization is solely responsible for its return.
The SA is just one of many groups involved with actually carrying out the event. Macchione-Early said that it is a collaborative effort between the spirit program, the athletics department and the SA.
Earl said the event will also involve the Residence Hall Association and Program Board.
“It’s extremely important to bring an event like this back to campus,” Earl said. “The students and the administration need to make clear that the Smith Center is a place to be proud of your school.”
