Tailgaters to stake out new spaces
MSA is working to organize a university-sponsored tailgating area.
Published Sept. 15, 2009
As a result of Reactor Field being closed to the public, students and alumni found new tailgating locations before the season's first home football game Saturday.
Several parking lots and garages were available for public use, but an equivalent to Reactor was not available to fans.
Alumna Linda Marden tailgated in the parking lot in front of Lathrop residence hall before Saturday's game. As a student, Marden tailgated at Reactor multiple times and said she is disappointed it is no longer available to the public.
"I think it's really sad because I spent 99 percent of my tailgates at Reactor," Marden said. "It was the best student experience. It feels like they're taking away tailgating spots piece by piece."
Senior Brian Chapin also tailgated at Reactor in past years and said it was a convenient location.
"I tailgated there almost every weekend for at least the last year and a half," Chapin said. "I don't like that it's closed because that pretty much killed the student tailgate sector."
Missouri Students Association spokesman Tim Noce said since the home opener, people have told him the absence of Reactor has taken away from the tailgating experience.
"I've already gotten some response from people saying tailgating isn't the same, and they think it's going to cut down the environment of football games," Noce said.
MSA has continued its efforts to obtain a student tailgating area. Last Monday it posted a petition online, which is nearing 2,000 signatures.
MSA Student Affairs Committee Chairman Paul Whiteside is one of the petitioners.
"Not only is Reactor tailgating a long-cherished tradition of the University of Missouri, for which many alumni specifically return, this hallowed gravel parking lot also provides a safe gathering point for community tailgating," Whiteside said.
Several others signed the petition, "Bring it back!"
MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said the police force wasn't any more thinned out than usual due to the closing of Reactor because tailgating has always been all over campus, and they've always had police patrolling the entire campus.
Weimer said there weren't any major issues Saturday.
To raise awareness of the petition, MSA created a Facebook advertisement last Thursday. Prior to that, the only form of advertising they had was a Facebook group. In addition to the social networking advertisements, MSA will be posting banners and posters around campus starting this week.
Noce said they are also working on distributing T-shirts stating, "Rally for Reactor. Join the fight for Mizzou tailgating."
Noce said they plan on selling the shirts before games and have already started taking orders from Greek houses and other supporters of the Reactor campaign.
MSA President Jordan Paul said the administration and MSA are continuing to organize a university-sponsored tailgate and hope to have one ready for the game this weekend. Anyone will be able to attend the tailgate, but consumers will be carded before being able to purchase alcohol. A limit might also be placed on the amount of drinks each person can purchase. The location of the tailgate is yet to be determined.
Noce said he would have liked a more rapid response, but things are moving in the right direction.
"We're getting there," Noce said. "I would have liked it to be a little quicker, but that's what happens when you work with a big project. Things take longer than you expected."
