New tailgating should be given a chance
Over the past couple weeks, the CM Life newspaper and Web site have been filled with coverage and comments about the new tailgating procedures. For the most part, the opinions of the new rules have leaned heavily toward the negative side.
But how many people actually know why they are complaining? How many people actually tailgated on campus last weekend? And, most importantly, how many people actually read the new tailgating policies?
Personally, I don’t understand how anybody can complain unless they were actually at the tailgate Saturday. Judging by the conversations I’ve heard, this is most of the people complaining boycotted the tailgate.
What exactly is so horrible about the new rules? Are most tailgaters going to drink more than six beers or a pint of alcohol? Probably not. Six beers or a pint is plenty for most people. For those who want to drink more, find a friend who only plans on drinking a couple beers and have him take some extra for you.
There is no limit on how much people can drink, only how much they can bring in.
Is the prohibition of glass containers really going to kill your tailgating experience? No. Is throwing garbage in receptacles going to ruin the fun? No.
Are you going to die because your dog can’t accompany you? No.
There are misconceptions about the new rules, too. I heard people saying grills, coolers and music have all been banned, but this is just not true. If you really want to listen to music, turn the radio on in your vehicle. The new rules do not ban grills, they only limit them to small grills. So if you want to grill some food, bring a small grill. It’s not that complicated.
Instead of going to the tailgate and testing out the new rules, people began blowing things out of proportion.
While I stand behind the administration in its decision to implement these new rules, I am not arguing they are perfect. Personally, I would get rid of the prohibition of glass containers, animals and trailers, but these are minor problems with the rules.
One problem I have is the requirement that cars stay in the lot until the third quarter. I would encourage the administration to consider eliminating that rule.
Either way, instead of boycotting CMU tailgating and continuing to spread misconceptions and falsehoods about the new rules, those wishing to tailgate should calm down and rationally voice their criticisms with the administration.
If you skipped last weekend’s tailgate because of the new rules, tailgate at the Akron game Saturday. I am willing to bet that a lot of students will find the new rules are not as bad as people are making them out to be.
