Even Yalies Deserve To Tailgate

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Tailgating is the central aspect to the GAME depsite Byerly's love of Ivy league football. This year's tailgating policy is completely absurd and has disuaded me and my friends from going this year (the first time I will miss the game since graduating). </p>

<p><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/blogentry.aspx?blogID=31&ref=164%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.thecrimson.com/blogentry.aspx?blogID=31&ref=164&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Even Yalies Deserve To Tailgate
Filed under: Harvard College</p>

<p>In two and a half weeks Harvard will once again beat Yale. We should, however, make sure it’s a fair fight. Trying to gain some sort of advantage by giving Yalies no space at the tailgate so that their fans don’t show up—which is what the tailgate organizers’ most recent gaffe must appear like from New Haven—is an exceedingly dumb idea.</p>

<p>In case you haven’t heard, tailgate organizers gave Yalies a pathetic 18 spots for student groups—down from 60 two years ago—to Harvard’s 34. Feeling charitable, they gave the Yalies another two spots. Both numbers are low—Harvard had 90 spots two years ago—and they are even lower when you consider that each Harvard House and Yale College is guaranteed a spot. That leaves a measly eight spots for Yale student groups and only 22 for Harvard student groups. The Yalies are rightlfully disgruntled.</p>

<p>Yes, each spot will occupy more space than two years ago. And yes, part of the reason organizers reduced the amount of space for tailgating is to make room for 120 additional (and badly needed) porta-potties. But something smells fishy—what’s wrong with giving the Houses and Colleges larger plots and then subdividing plots to make more room for student groups? Do organizers really want absolutely nobody to attend the tailgate?</p>

<p>The justification for giving Yale so little space, Campus Life Fellow John T. Drake ’06 told The Crimson’s Liz Goodwin and Katie Gray, is that “word through students was that Yalies weren’t as excited about coming here. So we gave them fewer spaces.” This certainly seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Organizers need to fix this debacle immediately.</p>

<p>Thankfully, several Harvard student groups have decided to hold joint-tailgates with their sister groups at Yale, ending the self-imposed segregation at most Harvard-Yale tailgates. This seems like a good idea, and other student groups should consider following suit. That way, everyone can have fun, Yale can have a few fans, and—dare I say it—Harvard students can actually say something to Yalies besides “safety school.”</p>

<p>This year’s Game will be fun in spite of the administration’s best efforts. Please make sure your Yale friends come (in spite of our puritanical policies) and have a good time. The Game is meant to be a big celebration; it’s more fun if the Yalies show up. Plus when we win, we will know we did so fair and square.</p>

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<p>Here are the Crimson and YDN articles covering the actual tailgating policies:
<a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=515409%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=515409&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=34081%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=34081&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>Yalies aren't coming, no one applied for any tailgating spots this year - will make the Princeton-Yale Game the new GAME</p>

<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=34186%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=34186&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>No student groups submitted applications to the Yale College Council for the eight spaces allotted to Yale organizations at this year's Harvard-Yale tailgate before the Sunday night deadline. </p>

<p>YCC Secretary Zach Marks '09 said although the Council received several inquiries from groups before the deadline, there was much less interest in tailgating spots than expected. Many leaders of student organizations said they will throw tailgates at the Yale-Princeton game in New Haven this Saturday instead of their traditional Harvard-Yale parties because of Harvard's new restrictions. </p>

<p>Marks said the lack of applications is not only due to Harvard's increasingly restrictive drinking policies but also to the absence of college-sponsored transportation this year. In a departure from past years, the Council of Masters will not subsidize buses to and from Cambridge for The Game, Silliman College Master Judith Krauss announced last Monday. </p>

<p>"In terms of finished applications, we have zero," Marks said. "I think it is tough this year [with] Harvard cutting down on the potential fun of the tailgates." </p>

<p>The YCC announced last week that it would accept applications for a lottery to decide which groups would receive the eight places reserved for Yale groups on Ohiri Field in Boston, where the tailgates will be held. An additional 12 spots were set aside for the residential college Student Activities Committees, though the Silliman College SAC has already announced that it does not plan to host a tailgate at The Game and other colleges said they are still considering whether or not to tailgate...</p>