How much would you pay to spend one night with John DeGioia? $100? $150, perhaps? On Tuesday night, DeGioia was priced to own, at least for one evening, at $370. If that is out of your price range, then console yourself with Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson, whose going rate is $166.47.
A group of Georgetown faculty and staff, mostly SFS professors and Jesuits, were put up for auction at the first annual Hilltop Auction Tuesday in Copley Formal Lounge. At the event, which also featured performances by improv group GPIG and a cappella group Harmony, groups of eager students bid on the opportunity to have dinner with the various staff members, either at their homes or at a predetermined restaurant.
The event was organized by the FRIENDS Initiative, a group of students and professors dedicated to nurturing community at Georgetown. The profits, totalling over $3,000, will be donated to student groups in The Office of Volunter and Public Service.
Despite formal attire and a traditional setting, the auction maintained a relaxed atmosphere. After a crash course in bidding from Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Steve de Man (SFS ‘04), the auction began. Procedure was quickly abandoned, however, as members of the audience enthusiastically began to shout out the amounts they were willing to bid, often at the same time.
Even Jack the Bulldog got in on the action. Halfway through the evening, he decided to upstage the GPIG members by breaking loose and running onto the stage during their performance.
Bidding was often interrupted by de Man’s attempts to raise prices by pointing out the potential benefits of having dinner with each faculty member. “He can get you out of binds!” he said of Father Maher. Of DeGioia, he pointed out that students could use the dinner as an opportunity to discuss the University’s alcohol policy with the president. Wright said that the dinners would be paid for by the bidding money, the professors themselves, or even by the restaurants.
The group of professors auctioned off was carefully chosen. “We selected professors that students had a strong passion for,” said auction contributor Eamonn Carr (CAS ‘06).
According to auction coordinator Nate Wright (CAS ‘06), the professors were only too happy to oblige. “We got an overwhelming response from the professors,” he said. “This is a testament to the professors. It shows their commitment to building the community.”
Before the auction, Amy Bozzo (CAS ‘04) said “I think Dr. Porterfield is going to be a big seller. And Jack DeGioia.” But it was School of Foreign Service Dean Robert Gallucci and Government Professor Anthony Lake, who got the highest bid. They were auctioned off for $725.
In seconds, the bidding price for Gallucci and Lake rose over $400; after the price rose above $650, one of the members of the group that eventually won the bid put his head in his hands and said audibly “I need to get a job!” The victory may have been expensive, but the group was pleased. “We had to do it. It’s for a good cause, and it’s an interesting opportunity,” said group member Craig Kessler (SFS ‘07).
Both faculty and FRIENDS members alike deemed the evening a triumph. “We didn’t expect to make this much money. This was really at a critical time,” said auction coordinator Pravin Rajan (SFS ‘07), who pointed out that funding for student groups has been extremely low this year. Porterfield said of the auction, “It was a spectacular success.”
