The Georgetown University Grilling Society (GUGS, pronounced "jugs") is a student club that grills burgers on Fridays and for university events. On Friday afternoons GUGS assembles in Red Square and the smell of burgers cooking and soft rock music fills the air. With $4 in hand, fellow students line up to buy an iconic potato-shaped half-pound GUGS burger, a twenty-year Georgetown tradition.
Origins
In 2002, four students who worked for campus housing and enjoyed grilling meat decided to throw a party on the Village A rooftop. The barbeque ran from noon until 2:00am, a DJ blasted music, and summer students from all over campus stopped by to investigate. That fall, Billy Wuyek (MSB ‘04) and his three friends sought official University recognition from the Student Activities Commission. With the University’s somewhat dubious backing of a new grilling club, GUGS was formally founded. The organization's creed reads, “Beneath the trees which line the grounds of Georgetown, the Georgetown University Grilling Society strives to maintain the fundamental values of mankind through bonds and friendships forged in the very fires upon which we cook.”1
Activities
GUGS started out grilling for small on-campus events like “Meating and Movies” serving hamburgers and hot dogs to students watching movies in the Village A Community room. By 2004, 35 students staffed the grills, and GUGS was raking in up to $1600 at events. That year GUGS was named the Center for Student Programs Outstanding Student Organization, and its founder, Billy Wuyek was nominated for the Center for Student Programs Outstanding Senior award.2
In 2005, GUGS represented the University at a Food Network Competition, the Next Grilleration George Foreman cook-off at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. During the course of the competition, the GUGS team prepared a four-course menu of a seafood appetizer, Jamaican jerk chicken, strawberry shortcake, and banana flambée. Although GUGS placed fourth overall, they took first in four categories: hygiene, organization, teamwork, and effort.3
In 2007, GUGS grilled 2,500 burgers and 1,200 hot dogs using over a half ton of charcoal in the month of September alone. By that time, GUGS had become the go-to caterer for University events: Run for Rigby, Relay for Life, Best Buddies, Neighborhood Cleanups, and more. Notably, GUGS is apolitical on campus and does not hold events with College Democrats, College Republicans, Right to Life, H*yas for Choice or other politically-active groups.4 When the Georgetown Basketball Team advanced to the Final Four, GUGS catered the University’s Final Four party. Relying on ten grills, GUGS managed to feed more than 1,200 people in two hours.5
Since then, GUGS has remained a fixture of Friday afternoons in Red Square or Copley Lawn and a staple of large University events, including Homecoming and Georgetown Day.
- 1Regan-Sachs, Rebecca. “Wuyek’s Iniative Gets the Hilltop Fired Up Over Grilling.” The Hoya. 21 May 2004.
- 2Id.
- 3Dickerson, Justin. “GUGS Grills for Food Network.” The Hoya. 22 April 2005.
- 4Styacich, Jake. “GUGS Admits Shirt Has Offended Some, Grills Gone Wild Moves Forward.” The Georgetown Voice. 3 April 2008.
- 5Styacich, Jake. “GUGS Has A Beef With University.” The Hoya. 14 Sept. 2007.
