President Karen Holbrook said yesterday the committee she formed to investigate the game-day atmosphere at Ohio State is not planning to make any major changes.
“Basically, the message has been moderation and respect,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook said she does not anticipate an end to tailgating since it is such a tradition at this university. Rather, she wants to see danger-free celebration.
“I don’t object to parties, and I don’t object to large-scale parties as long as they aren’t damaging property and hurting people,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook said the move to create the committee came from a single e-mail which fostered discussion among her co-workers. She said the discussion grew and grew until it was decided there was a need to address game day activities at OSU.
She said she does not want to lay blame on any group for creating an unfriendly atmosphere during game day.
“From my own perspective, Ohio State students are — in many cases — model citizens. I can’t point fingers at anybody, and I wouldn’t want to try,” Holbrook said.
She said she does not know of any university where bad behavior on game days has resulted in major changes, other than asking people to think.
Regarding comments made by University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr about fearing for his players’ safety, Holbrook said the comments were probably taken out of context.
“I think we want to foster a positive fear attitude, that we’re out there and we’re going to beat you,” Holbrook said. “But I don’t think anybody wants to fear personally and I hope they don’t.”
Holbrook said she is not the only person who has been calling for more respect on game days.
“Our athletics director has been saying this all along. Every game he talks to the group and says, ‘Let’s be good hosts,’ ” Holbrook said.
Holbrook commended Bill Hall, vice president of Student Affairs, for his work during tough times in the past surrounding the OSU-Michigan game.
“He is very effective and very student-supported. I have never seen anyone in Student Affairs who is more on the side of making sure students have a safe and sane experience on this campus,” Holbrook said.
Elizabeth Conlisk, spokeswoman for OSU, seconded Holbrook’s comments about Hall.
“Bill and his people have been out in the neighborhood all fall, and kids in the neighborhood have been having fun in a responsible way,” Conlisk said.
Conlisk is hopeful this new attitude will prevail this weekend, as opposed to the one which fostered the riots of the past two springs.
Much discussion centered around Holbrook’s experience at universities across the country with big rivalries similar to the one between OSU and Michigan. She talked at length about the rivalry between two universities for which she has worked: Georgia and Florida.
When those teams play, game day tension is not so high because the game is not played on either campus. Instead, Holbrook said, the game is played in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ NFL stadium.
“I think playing on our own campuses is much more fun,” Holbrook said. “It’s much more exciting, and it’s much more in the spirit of football.”
