AFD North Station, overlooking UMass
If UMass needs alcohol to sell the football team then perhaps they should think twice about how viable the game is as a stand alone enterprise.
Homecoming weekend should be about more than just alcohol.
Lot 22 was ground zero for tailgating
McGuirk Stadium 6:00 PM Saturday
17 out of 27 "emergency" runs (63%) to UMass were for excessive alcohol intake, aka ETOH
Do we assume that some of those hospitalized were alums?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but thousands of people enjoyed the whole weekend, including the game and parade, and had no problems at all.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's nothing to be sorry about.
ReplyDeleteLarry, I think you missed the lead on this story. This was an example of the University providing an on-campus place for students to let loose and party in a controlled, safe setting. We need to be encouraging this because, if they don't - it ends up in unsupervised, off-campus parties with far more possibility of bodily harm.
ReplyDeleteWell they had an expensive Mullins Center concert on Blarney Blowout to provide an on-campus place to keep the students occupied, but did not allow alcohol.
ReplyDeleteAnd guess what, that concert was a bust and students won't do it again. Stay in your basement flying your creepy little spy drone writing jealously about people, young and old, having fun. Wish I lived in Amherst so I could shoot that drone down, now THAT would be more fun than tailgating. I bet your neighbors would be happy, get their privacy back.
ReplyDeleteGeeze that's too bad considering how much the concert cost -- paid for out of students fees.
ReplyDeleteAnd shooting down a drone is a federal offense.
Now Now everybody play nice, no drone has to die today.
ReplyDeleteMy drone does not die easily. (And she knows karate.)
ReplyDeleteWhile we're on the subject, lets not forget the idiocy of bringing first year students to campus on the first day of a 3-day weekend, thus setting up a pattern of weekend partying when the focus should be on academics. I say bring the upperclassmen earlier and the freshmen move in the day before classes start. With a mandatory freshmen class assembly the night before. So they have a full week of classes before they can get sucked into the party scene -and maybe have an increased sense of responsibility when they do.
ReplyDeleteUm, that's not how college works. Freshman arrive early for orientation, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteMe thinks that you have register that drone, Lawrence.
ReplyDeleteDrink resposibly. Don't drink and drive. What more can you say or do other than prosecute those who disobey?
ReplyDeleteMy wife and i went to the football game on Saturday. (Had a really wonderful time.) We tailgated in lot 22.
ReplyDeleteWere we surrounded by students? Yes
Were they loud? Yep
Were they drunk? You bet
But they were really respectful and honestly-well behaved. From everything we saw there were no problems between students and they were actually quite nice to my wife and I, even making a conscious effort not to crowd the back of our SUV too much.
Every interaction we saw between UMPD, State Police and the students was positive. If the students were asked to do something or stop doing something--they did. (Maybe APD can take notes on how to treat the students...)
As long as the kids behave...let them have their fun. There were thousands of kids down there and a handful required medical attention. They were not bothering anyone. These events go a long way toward improving the student experience. Let them have it.
And I'm sick of people questioning the viability of high caliber football at UMass. It can be done, it will take time. UMass deserves it.
Perspective: What do you think happens at Michigan State? UNC? UNH? UConn? As big as UMass is..the problems are relatively minute. When not set up a triage station and dedicate one ambulance to the scene for treatment and no transports? Then mandate that the UMass infirmary be open on game days to babysit their own drunks….and dedicate another ambulance specifically for those runs, Paid for, much like a cop detail, buy UMass and they can put it in as a line item in the athletics budget. That leaves the town and game covered.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the drone poses a threat to you pr your property , you have a right to defend either. Otherwise, it's illegal to shoot the thing. Advisable to report it to police if it's simply an annoyance.
ReplyDelete