A welcome twist has recently come to the story of tailgating at MSU. Yes, the university administration has finally started listening to people's concerns about the game-day restrictions, in place since last fall, which include a ban on drinking games and a time limit of five hours before games and two hours afterward.
Due to the fact that students, faculty, alumni and fans were unsatisfied with the curtailed tailgating schedule last fall, the administration will allow extended hours. Under the new approach, the time window will be extended by one to two and a half hours.
The extension, small as it is, shows the administration is listening and is trying to accommodate people's concerns. In those one or two hours, fans will be able to chow down only a few extra hot dogs or drink a couple more beers, but the important thing is that their concerns were heard.
Nevertheless, the tailgating rules still seem a little ridiculous. For instance, why is drinking allowed on campus during game days but not during other times? As any casual observer can see, practically the only time anyone ever drinks on campus is during tailgating. Sure, a few individuals might bring some green beer into class on St. Patrick's Day, but the number of people doing this pales in comparison to the drunken hordes present on game day.
Perhaps the administration should focus on real solutions to drinking problems instead of making a good public appearance by purporting to stop the scant few non-tailgating open-intoxicant cases. For example, some thought could be put into making food and even more bathrooms available to tailgaters. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad, and it's important to have enough bathrooms.
Whatever the administration does, it remains to be seen if tailgating will ever go back to what it used to be before the new rules. Last fall after the drinking game ban, many tailgaters avoided the tennis courts - the usual pregame gathering spot on campus - and simply stayed at home or within the city of East Lansing. Things might not be the same when the courts open for tailgating next season.
An overbearing police presence will certainly deter tailgaters. Thus, efforts should be made by officers to keep the atmosphere friendly as opposed to excessively nosing into people's business. They can get their jobs done without being pushy. It's most important that people are safe.
For people who are tailgating, or doing anything else for that matter, it isn't fun to be made to feel in the wrong. The crackdown on tailgating last fall did just this, but now that tailgaters' concerns are being listened to, the situation might be different. Now that the administration is listening, it's time for people to keep talking.
