For the first time in two years, students at Tailgate were not the only ones flipping burgers-the administration did all the grilling for them.
Students showed up in droves Saturday morning to the first University-sanctioned Tailgate since administrators decided to divorce itself from the pre-football game ritual in Fall 2006. Vendors provided Tailgate attendees with free bottled water, hamburgers, hot dogs and several other food choices.
Administrators and student leaders made arrangements earlier this month to provide funding for the event-including provisions for security and portable toilets-on the condition that students be held responsible for their behavior.
As planned, students brought food, grills and stereo speakers before the event began and removed their cars from the Blue Zone parking lots by 8:00 a.m. Also, security personnel checked the IDs of any student carrying alcohol inside and upheld the limit of one case of beer per person.
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, said the new policies made for a problem-free Tailgate with few instances of poor behavior.
"In general, there was a focus on good, friendly camaraderie," he said. "There were some people who feel excessive consumption is part of the norm, but the vast majority were there to enjoy themselves and raise the spirit of the football game."
Moneta said the only major problem that occurred during Saturday's Tailgate was the confusion among students when security started leading them out of the parking lot at 12:00 p.m., when the football game began.
"My understanding is that there were some problems terminating Tailgate and getting people to leave," he said. "The arrangements that the group agreed to was that Tailgate ended at kickoff. I heard there were some students who were resistant."
Duke Student Government President Paul Slattery, a senior, said the administrative support convinced students to show up Saturday even if they had been unsure whether or not they would attend.
"I think this is the biggest one we've had this year, by far," he said. "With the food and with the sense that it's not so underground, people who were on the fence decided to come."
As part of the effort to dissuade Tailgate attendees from endangering others by throwing beer cans or starting fights, student leaders wore T-shirts with the message, "Don't be an asshole. Save Tailgate."
Interfraternity Council President David Melton, a senior, said the T-shirts were part of the general message that he shared with members of the greek community and other student organizations.
"What made it most effective was that we communicated with groups ahead of time," he said. "You can have as much fun as you want, but there's no reason why anyone needs to throw beer cans in the air. That's what we were trying to get across."
Sophomore Shivam Desai said the Tailgate on Saturday did not differ much from previous ones, apart from the abrupt effort to break it up at the end.
"They brought in sirens to push people out," he said.
Slattery said administrators have not made plans to provide funding for future Tailgates, but he expects that a similar policy will be in effect at the next Tailgate.
"I haven't had any indication that there will be any significant changes," he said.
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