In a desperate attempt to cross things off my college bucket list, I was determined to attend one of the tailgates that our campus’ Greek life hosts for every home football game. On Saturday, after a painstakingly long process of reaching out to distantly connected friends, I was finally able to acquire an official Interfraternity Council wristband for entry into their IFC tailgate.
With the forest green band wrapped snugly along my wrist, I joined the droves of undergraduates flooding into the practice fields for the tailgate and found myself transported into a different dimension. Like Jasmine in Aladdin, my experience at the tailgate was akin to entering “a whole new world,” and gave me a taste of Greek life, a seemingly endless cornucopia of drinks, music and food.
However, what I relished most about the tailgate was the atmosphere, and the opportunity to interact with so many different students and friends, a pivotal experience I feel is lacking at the University of Maryland’s existing Terp Town and Terp Up for Game Day activities.
There simply aren’t enough options for students to tailgate with their peers, especially when none are affiliated with members of Greek life. Certainly Terp Town is a step in the right direction, but it is an event that largely consists of alumni and families, and while it is inclusive, it’s not one that boasts a high student attendance. Considering how individual non-Greek student organizations rarely generate the revenues necessary to host a large-scale tailgate for students, the Student Affairs Committee’s recent campaign to organize a tailgate for SGA-recognized student groups is exactly what this university needs.
While I enjoyed the IFC tailgate, I know that the odds of me, a male, non-IFC, non-Greek student obtaining another wristband are rather low. For students to have to rely on cronyism and connections in order to enjoy a student tailgate experience is simply inexcusable, and any effort to make such tailgating options more available for general students must be pursued.
I would even go so far as to suggest the imposition of a small student fee in order to cover for the payment of food, drinks and games at potential school sponsored tailgates. For students over 21 years old, the establishment of a beer-zone (similar to the Homecoming beer gardens) could allow the university to distribute alcohol to those of age, while simultaneously controlling the rampant underage drinking that may occur at other unregulated tailgating functions.
Overall, these tailgates are meant to bring students together to celebrate this university, and they work by reaffirming our sense of community. These inalienable rights to express our community identity and Maryland pride cannot and should not be solely limited to Greek-life students. If sharing is indeed caring, then allow us all the equal opportunity to revel in the fun, food and love for this university and its athletics.
Max An is a senior physiology and neurobiology major. He can be reached at maxandbk@gmail.com.
