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Countdown to YAL Washington, DC Weekend 2004 November 1, 2004 On Thursday night November 11th, 2004, YAL Washington, DC Weekend kicks off for five straight days of Greek young adults from all over the country descending on D.C. With the National YAL Conference and AHEPA having unfortunately taken place in New York and Miami respectively on the same weekend back in July, and Olympics trips having drawn from the usual crowd that attends Beach Blast at Virginia Beach in August, this promises to be the largest gathering of Greek Young Adults since Clearwater on Memorial Day Weekend. (We heard a rumor that there was a YAL Conference in Las Vegas back in September, but we haven’t met or heard from anyone who went. We guess the marketing mantra of “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” applies to YAL conferences as well.) For those of you from the DC area, Friday and Saturday night may just appear to be a very well-attended Greek Night and semi-formal respectively in a convenient downtown location. The afternoons are marketed for the out-of-towners to take in all that DC has to offer, like the museums and monuments. Even those of us from DC though shouldn’t be so smug in thinking that just because we grew up with the privilege of taking field trips in elementary school to all of these places that there’s nothing left for us to learn or experience at these places. (Don’t think of it as another trip to another museum you’ve been to a dozen times in your life… think of it as a chance to impress an out-of-towner.) As is usually the case at these weekends, the church service on Sunday is usually the least attended event. Those from in-and-out of DC should make a point to try to make it out for church if only for its location at St. Constantine & Helen. Usually overshadowed by its neighbor within the District, St. Sophia’s Cathedral, and smaller than St. Katherine and St. George in the suburbs, “St. Connie’s” has maintained a certain charm throughout the years. There’s a rumor in the community that the church is thinking of selling their prime real estate in an increasingly revitalized area of DC and moving farther out to the Maryland suburbs to be closer to its community the majority of which no longer lives in the city. Not knowing how much longer we’ll have St. Connie’s and its old-school feel, this opportunity to have a large group of young adults spent time in fellowship there will be one not to be missed. The organizers of YAL Washington DC Weekend are still taking registrations by mail, and will probably be happy to have the higher at the door registration and the a la carte cover charges for the Greek Nights and semi-formal go toward YAL Charities. Check out the Events Calendar listing for more information on registration and an updated schedule of events. Check out coverage from YAL DC Weekend Events from prior years:
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