The George Washington University’s Office of Student Life within the Division for Student Affairs is once again offering substance-free alternative activities for students this fall through Late Night at GW events, back for a consecutive academic year after 1,600-plus students participated in 14 such events in 2021-2022.
The events are meant to be fun, inclusive and engaging late-night activities to mitigate high-risk drinking behaviors among students. According to data from GW first-year and transfer students who completed the AlcoholEdu® for College module, students reported Friday and Saturday as the days of the week they consumed the most alcohol, and 60% of those students reported that “having a good time with friends” was the primary reason they chose to drink.
Taking such data into consideration, GW Late Night events are designed to occur exclusively on Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. to offer an alternative to drinking.
Oh, and there’s always free food.
“The goal is to provide a space for students to have fun and socialize, explore new interests and take a break from academics without the temptation or risks involved with drinking alcohol or being in an environment where alcohol is present,” Assistant Director of Health Promotion Education Mallory McPherson-Wehan said.
There are three Late Night at GW events coming up within the next month starting Thursday with a wings and bingo (Wingo) night at 9 p.m. in the University Student Center’s Grand Ballroom. Event prizes include a SpikeBall Set, Apple AirPods, FujiFilm Instant Camera and more.
A festive Boo Bash complete with a costume contest, bouncy house and apple cider doughnuts will take place on Friday, Oct. 28, and a game night will also take place on Thursday, Nov. 10.
“It's very much a no pressure environment, and I feel like the fact that there's no expectations for students going into it makes it very easy for students to just let loose and have a good time,” said senior public health and psychology major Julia Hyatt, who is also a Capital Peer working for the Health Promotion Education unit. “I feel like that's a huge component of GW Late Night that makes it so fun.”
Senior political communications major Kate Carpenter, who was the Student Association’s vice president last academic year, attended many of the 14 Late Night at GW events in 2021-2022 and provided a ringing endorsement.
“There is just nothing like going to a free event, in my opinion, with your friends,” Carpenter said. “It's a safe community, and you'll always know there's an event for you to go to with the GW community on the weekends.”
GW Late Night events for spring 2023 will be announced later this fall.
