Within the Class of 2020’s first year on campus, now-seniors had already witnessed a presidential election and welcomed a new University president.

Graduates might not be able to say a final farewell to campus this year, but they can always remember the four unforgettable years they experienced, from meeting Kanye West to witnessing their fair share of Student Association election drama. Jog your memory from the time you stepped foot on campus to the moment you wrapped up your last semester.

March 2016 – before freshman year
The summer before the Class of 2020 arrived, officials announced plans to shutter J Street – the University’s only Foggy Bottom dining hall – and switch to an open dining plan which gives students a food stipend to spend at partnering vendors on and around campus. The Class of 2020 was the first to experience the new dining model through their entire four years.

September 2016 – freshman year
Students gathered in University Yard for Program Board’s annual Fall Fest to hear from Nico & Vinz, Bencoolen and The Mowgli’s. The Mowgli’s and Nico & Vinz headlined the event, showcasing their rock and electronic pop music, as the first pair to share the stage in Fall Fest history.

October 2016 – freshman year
After months of student advocacy, officials added fall break to the schedule for the first time during the Class of 2020’s freshman year. Students celebrated the extra days off by attending getaways with GW TRAiLS or political campaign trips with other campus groups.

November 2016 – freshman year
After President Donald Trump won the 2016 election, hundreds of students gathered in Kogan Plaza at a vigil named “Post-Election Group Cry: Tissues and Issues.” Others gathered in Lafayette Park and on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to protest.

January 2017 – freshman year
More than 4,000 students, faculty and guests attended GW’s seventh inaugural ball even after some upset students tried to sell their tickets following Trump’s victory. GW College Democrats hosted their own “Thanks Obama: Fired Up and Ready to Dance” counter-celebration that night.

April 2017 – freshman year
An SA presidential candidate was removed from the race amid stalking and harassment accusations from another candidate and their campaign team. Former SA President Peak Sen Chua, who was elected as executive vice president, assumed the presidency. Chua tapped his former opponent Sydney Nelson to serve as executive vice president.

May 2017 – freshman year
By the end of the class’ freshman year, former University President Steven Knapp was set to step down from his post by the summer and transition in University President Thomas LeBlanc. Knapp most recently left his faculty position in February.

August 2017 – sophomore year
LeBlanc officially became GW’s 18th president, vowing to improve staff culture and the student experience. Multiple top officials departed during his first few years, including former Associate Dean of Students Tim Miller and former Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Peter Konwerski.

March 2018 – sophomore year
After 17 people were killed at a Parkland, Fla. high school, students joined hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the first-ever March For Our Lives. Protesters called on government officials to implement stronger background checks for gun purchases and implement a ban on assault rifles.

April 2018 – sophomore year
Author of the 2007 novel turned hit film “Call Me By Your Name,” André Aciman, visited GW to speak about the unexpected success of his book. Aciman talked at Lisner Auditorium about how the book was adapted into a film with Spencer Kornhaber, a pop culture writer for The Atlantic.

April 2018 – sophomore year
Officials greenlighted plans to renovate Thurston Hall, the University’s oldest and largest residence hall, which housed more than 1,100 first-year students. Two years later, renovations have begun on the empty residence hall.

April 2018 – sophomore year
President Emmanuel Macron of France visited GW’s campus to speak at a town hall in the Smith Center about the war in Syria, religion, the European Union and climate change.

September 2018 – junior year
Program Board replaced its typical Fall Fest concert with a comedy show. Hasan Minhaj, a former correspondent for The Daily Show, headlined the show and previewed parts of his upcoming Netflix special, “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.”

September 2018 – junior year
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke at the GW Law School about her experiences with gender discrimination and the need for gender diversity in law. The event, held in Lisner Auditorium, was moderated by one of the justice’s former clerks.

October 2018 – junior year
Hundreds of protesters, including GW students, gathered outside the Supreme Court and in the Hart Senate Office Building to protest then-judge Brett Kavanaugh’s pending nomination to the Supreme Court. The protests erupted after Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee of alleged sexual assault.

December 2018 – junior year
Thousands lined the streets outside of the U.S. Capitol Building to visit where former President George H.W. Bush was lying in state and to watch the funeral procession. Bush and his wife Barbara spoke at Commencement on the National Mall in 2006.

March 2019 – junior year
Then-freshman Justin Diamond launched a last minute write-in campaign for the SA presidential election on a platform to abolish the organization. Diamond quickly gained traction, bringing the race to a runoff where he ultimately lost to former SA President SJ Matthews.

October 2019 – senior year
Officials surprised students with a midnight announcement that Kanye West would visit campus that day, prompting dozens to camp outside Lisner Auditorium throughout the night to secure tickets. Nearly 1,500 people gathered to hear West play samples from his newest album “Jesus is King” and talk about his Christian faith.

October 2019 – senior year
Half of the GW College Democrats’ executive board, including the president, resigned after some of the e-board members were involved with omitting votes during the freshman representative election last September.

February 2020 – senior year
Hundreds of students held a string of demonstrations calling on the University to divest its holdings from the fossil fuel industry. The protests came after LeBlanc disclosed that about 3 percent of GW’s investments are tied to fossil fuel companies.

March 2020 – senior year
Actor and YouTuber Josh Peck, best known for his role in the Nickelodeon show “Drake and Josh,” spoke about his start in Hollywood and current career on YouTube at Lisner Auditorium.

March 2020 – senior year
Officials announced that students will take classes and final exams online for the rest of the semester and canceled commencement ceremonies over safety concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Class of 2020 was invited to join next year’s graduating class to celebrate Commencement on the National Mall.

April 2020 – senior year
Students elected junior Howard Brookins as the next SA president in the first ranked-choice voting system. Brookins, a former SA senator and the first black student to serve as SA president in a decade, ran on a platform to improve the financial aid office and update the Student Code of Conduct.

April 2020 – senior year
LeBlanc announced that GW will hold a virtual Commencement celebration – which will not feature an external keynote speaker – on Sunday. Five University figures are slated to speak during the event, which officials said will last about 20 minutes.