I was incredibly disappointed with the university’s recent decision to remove students from the lots surrounding Jack Trice Stadium. Nearly all college football fans will agree that student tailgating is one of the best traditions in the overall gameday experience. That being said, however, it is not difficult to understand why this shameful decision was made. All we have to do is consider who is affected by the change, and how those people affect Iowa State.

The decision clearly benefits members of the National Cyclone Club, as they will be receiving the spots previously reserved for students. By freeing up these spots and distributing them to these members, the athletic department will also benefit from the change. It can expect increased donations from two or three decades-worth of alumni who have remained loyal to ISU athletics and who now have an additional reason to donate: better gameday parking.

Conversely, the decision negatively affects only those students who currently take part in tailgating as well as the select few, myself included, who aren’t able to participate but feel it is an important part of every home game.

Sadly, in four or five years there will be only a handful of students left on campus who will be able to recall the level of pre-game activity that used to exist. Future students won’t realize how badly they are being shorted by their own athletic department, so they won’t harbor any ill will toward the administration. Financially, then, Iowa State loses out only on donations that would have been made by this current group of tailgating students who now feel resentment toward their own university. Unfortunately for us, four year’s worth of student donations is an easy sacrifice to make when the reward is so high.

Once we accept that the university doesn’t particularly care about the interests of its own student body, it is easy to understand why they have no problem prohibiting us from our own tailgating lots. What’s harder to understand is why the university is so willing to treat its own student population with such contempt.

Greg Velasquez

Junior

Elementary Education