University of Georgia students expressed their frustrations regarding tailgating bans on an historic part of campus, arguing that they should be included in such decision-making.
 
University alumnus, Danny Brown, created a Facebook group titled “Michael Adams Extravaganza (Myers Quad),” as a forum for the 1,400 fans of the group to protest the restrictions. Brown also encouraged fans to bring banned items such as tents, kegs, televisions, and grills to areas on North Campus to Myers Quad.

The tailgating restrictions were instated in response to problems with waste and damage to the surrounding environment, but Brown argues that the administration could have found others solutions to the trash problem.

“I just feel like the administration needs to be a little more understanding that there will be trash, and that there are some alternatives they could have considered other than just going ahead and pretty much banning tailgating altogether on North Campus,” Brown said.
 
“With the amount of money that alumni and students spend on game day, I think that the Athletic Association and the administration have plenty of funds to institute better trash pickup on North Campus,” he added.

He also said that North Campus is one of the prettiest and historic places on the university grounds, and people have been tailgating there for years to enjoy that atmosphere.
 
However, Dexter Adams, director of the grounds for Physical Plant, insisted that the restrictions are necessary.
 
“It goes beyond just picking up the trash,” Adams said. “We were seeing actual physical damage to the grounds and damage that we couldn’t fix, like tree loss.”
 
Students have fought to be represented during further tailgating decision-making.
 
“Our biggest problem is that there was no student voice in the making of the decision,” says Josh Delaney, president-elect for the Student Government Association. “We want every decision to be justified to students.”
 
Danely says that although students did not have representation in the first meeting, the administration has agreed to allow a student representative on the panel that reviews the restrictions.
 
Delaney also expressed concern about the push from Brown and others to move tailgaters to areas such as the Myers Quad, a student residential area.
 
“Since people won’t be able to tailgate like they used to on North Campus, they will move to residential areas like the Myers Quad,” Delaney said. “We really don’t want those students in residential areas to be facing trash problems.”
 
Adams expects that students will find other places to tailgate, but said that at least the bans are protecting the “historic grounds of the oldest university in the country.” He added that relieving pressure from those grounds will enable fans to enjoy North Campus as a more park-like area.
 
Still, students remain steadfast in having their voices heard.
 
“I just want the administration to fully realize that game day is a tradition,” Delaney said. “It’s not just an alum thing, it’s a student thing and students want to be included. This is something that affects the students heavily, and we need to consult the people who live on this campus.”
 
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