President Karen Holbrook announced last week she wants to create a committee to study the issue of bad behavior on game day. She asked Bill Hall, vice president of student affairs, to create and direct the committee.
“The purpose of the committee is to review the environment around campus,” Hall said. “They will particularly look at the use of alcohol in and around St. John.”
Elizabeth Conlisk, spokeswoman for OSU, said administrators will put the committee together in the next few weeks.
The committee will include students from Undergraduate Student Government; the Council of Graduate Students; the Council of Student Affairs; a representative from the Alumni Association; Andy Geiger, the athletic director at Ohio State; business representatives and safety officials.
In a press conference with The Lantern, Holbrook said she is not interested in stopping fans from tailgating, but she just wants them to consider what they are doing and the message they are sending about the university.
Holbrook is about to take on the masses on Lane Avenue, but Hall said they don’t expect things to change immediately.
“This is not a quick fix,” Hall said. “It’s a matter of changing culture over time.”
Michael Minotti, a junior in finance, said he thinks the fact that Holbrook found the need to address fan behavior on game day is ridiculous. He said competitive behavior before the game is no surprise.
“Sports in general is a rivalry. The other team is your competitor,” Minotti said. “Before you know it, the teams will be walking into the stadium holding hands.”
Colleen Kenney, a junior in exercise science, went to the game at Purdue University this weekend dressed in scarlet and gray to cheer on the Buckeyes. She said the students at Purdue were just as rude, especially to the football players.
The student section at Purdue is located behind the visiting team’s side, and throughout the entire game the students taunted the players on the sidelines, Kenney said.
Conlisk said she understands that these problems occur in stadiums across the country, but OSU should be the first to change.
“We are hoping to set an example, and a new model and new respect for others,” Conlisk said.
The administration’s actions are directed not only at the students, but also at the alumni and the people who supply the alcohol to rambunctious fans.
Nick Pavich, manager of the Varsity Club on Lane Avenue, said he does not think alcohol is the main issue.
“Alcohol is not the only thing to blame,” he said. “It’s people’s behavior in general.”
Pavich also said the Varsity Club promotes responsible drinking.
“The Varsity Club provides a controlled atmosphere. We are going to cut you off when you have obviously had enough, but I can’t prevent people from going to drink elsewhere,” he said.
Pavich said it then becomes the responsibility of the police and liquor departments, but they don’t do anything about it.
“During football season beer is our business on Saturday,” said Jennifer Brockman, manager of the Exxon station at the corner of Lane and Neil avenues.
She said she does not think the creation of a committee will necessarily hurt business, but she thinks stricter policies are soon to follow.
“What it’s going to come down to is they are going to put restrictions on the retailers, like when the riots were happening,” Brockman said. “They are going to blame the retailers when it is not our fault.”
She said it is not the stores’ responsibility to control everyone’s actions.
Brockman said organizations like STOP (Stop Teenage Opportunity to Purchase) and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are already very strict with her store about the sale of alcohol.
“They are in here on game days trying to force us to make a mistake,” she said. “I think they are stricter with this store because we are on Lane Avenue.”
Concerns about behavior during home games is not just limited to alcohol. Holbrook is also worried about the overall appearance of the fans.
Holbrook wants students and alumni to reconsider the use of lewd language and wearing inappropriate T-shirts that display offensive messages to the Buckeyes’ opponent – namely Michigan.
Hall said Holbrook’s idea for the committee was sparked by an e-mail she received from a family that came to OSU for the Penn State game. In the e-mail, the family said it was so appalled by the rude behavior and offensive clothing that they did not even go to the game.
Kelly Dawes, manager of College Traditions, said Ohio State Trademark and Licensing has put an end to selling shirts with dirty messages. She said the director and assistant director of Ohio State Trademark and Licensing have confiscated illegal shirts on sale on many occasions.
“I think there is a fine line between distasteful and good, clean fun,” Dawes said.
Conlisk said the majority of fans are supportive, but there are a few who are ruining it for everyone.
“The people we want to reach are the very few who are giving OSU a bad name,” she said.
Hall said the administration is not trying to ruin everyone’s fun by creating the committee.
“I think the President is on the right track in needing to address these problems,” Hall said. “We want to let folks know we want them to celebrate the team and have fun, but also treat visitors with respect.”
