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School Spirit
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 15, 2007
With the exception of the final score of the football game, homecoming was a big success. Columbia almost felt like college for a day—students and alumni, Greeks and non-Greeks, children and adults enjoyed the unencumbered tailgating and a host of family-friendly amusements at Baker Field. Columbians' enthusiastic participation is an improvement over the recent Baker Field boycotts and draconian tailgating policies that marred previous events and alienated students. This year's event was an example of a policy done right: Public Safety watched over the crowd, but alcohol flowed easily. It was not allowed into the stadium, but was not restricted to just one beer an hour for those with two forms of identification. Columbia's administration and student councils deserve praise for engendering the kind of festive atmosphere that has been lacking in previous years.
After one massive event with a liberal alcohol policy, there have been no lawsuits, no riots, and no drunk freshmen pulled from the Hudson. Homecoming has shown how a little trust and a few enlightened policies can ensure that everyone has fun and stays safe. Columbia administrators should take heart from this year's successful homecoming and show similar leniency toward student events on campus in spite of the ongoing War on Fun. The day was not without its faults: many non-Greek tailgaters lamented limited access to barbecues and beverages—the only food in the student area came from a table manned by the Columbia Club. What's more, Columbia only allowed those who purchased quite expensive parking spaces to bring in alcohol. In other words, fans had to drive to drink.
Perhaps in the future, Columbia will encourage more student groups to tailgate without belonging to fraternities or sororities and paying to barbecue. College Democrats could flip burgers while the College Republicans pump beer from a keg, with the Columbia Political Union standing between them making sure everyone got his fair share. A good homecoming experience might make them more likely to look kindly upon their alma mater when deciding whether to donate, and it might also encourage returning alumni to continue giving.
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There was free food all over the place! All you had to do was visit the Dell table, where they were distributing complimentary hot dogs ("Dell Dogs") or stop by any of the five Fairway Market vendors on the concourse who were conducting sampling. I saw many students walking away with bags full of complimentary chips, trail mix, energy drinks, etc.
um. was the editorial board even at homecoming?
just wondering.
I see that your time away from New York City (I'm assuming that no real New Yorker would have such a petty and inane criticism) has taken a toll on your view of reality. Perhaps you're safer back in New Jersey, with your nanny-cams and private nursery school. What successful tailgating event would not feature at least one public urinator?
Should President Bollinger personally apologize to you for having to teach your children about the real world? Or are you content for your children to lean about private functions from their perverted classmates and internet porn?
This is a self-congratulatory editorial proclaiming how responsible Columbia undergrads are with alcohol and calling for more alcohol-related events. I do live and work in the City and the only time I see public urination it is typically someone without a home and high on something on a sidestreet, not a privileged Columbia undergrad soiling himself at the premier alumni family-friendly event of the year. The editorial is suggesting that we alumni should reward Columbia with more cash (rather than giving it to a more needy cause) because of how responsible and fun Columbia tailgates are.
I need no apology from Pres. Bollinger or from you. But perhaps if Columbia respected the law of New York State and didn't allow under-21's to drink on campus, we wouldn't have to be treated to the spectacle of someone who clearly can't handle their alcohol. I wasn't aware that the way to educate ones children about "private functions" was to expose them to a stranger pissing in public. Maybe when you grow up you will understand. By the way, there was plenty of alcohol available in the alumni tent, but for some reason I didn't see a public urinator there. Maybe the quality of student (if not their SAT scores) has gone down in the years since I graduated.
Your editorial is a bit light on investigation or your investigators were a bit light on something else. There was one very disgusting event of public urination and exposure by a Beta fraternity member (at least that's what was indicated on his t-shirt) in the tailgating "pen" shortly after the game started. Fortunately for him, he was evicted by Columbia University security personnel and not arrested by a NYC police officer and charged with a misdemeanor.
It would have been merely amusing, but for the fact that quite a number of children of alumni/ae were milling about (including mine) - we had to explain that some people would always do stupid things no matter how smart they were and, yes, you have to wait for the port-a-potty and can't water the astroturf.
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