Government of the Student Body officials said a number of students have indicated they are not willing to accept an alcohol-free student tailgating lot next to Jack Trice Stadium as compensation for being moved from the stadium lots earlier this semester.

At the Sept. 3 GSB meeting, a senate resolution was introduced that proposed consideration of an alcohol-free, student-only parking space in lot S-4 as a possible solution to the tailgating issue.

GSB and university officials met during the past two weeks to discuss the decision to move students from general public parking lots next to the stadium to general public parking spaces in grass lots across from Elwood Drive. During the discussions, they considered GSB’s current resolution to be the best compromise in meeting university officials’ concerns about dangerous drinking behavior taking place next to the stadium and student demand to be closer to the stadium.

Although both GSB and the university approved of the compromise, both organizations were not willing to put the recommended solution into effect without consulting students first.

GSB senators said they have been using the week between GSB’s last meeting and its upcoming vote to gather feedback from students.

Off-Campus Senator William Rock, who authored the bill, said a majority of students he talked with believe an alcohol-free student lot is unnecessary.

“[Students] feel the resolution is unnecessary, because they feel that it’s more or less overkill to say the lot is going to be alcohol-free parking now because of problems with alcohol that occurred in those lots in the past,” said Rock, who is also vice speaker of the senate.

“A lot of students have also said, ‘If [ISU Police] couldn’t control problems that occurred in lots last year, how are they going to be able to enforce something stricter this year?'”

He said students who tailgate and are of age have told him they feel discriminated against in the resolution, because they wouldn’t be able to drink in the lot the resolution would create.

Rock said students have also told him they would only use the lot to park in and would walk to the grass lots to tailgate, traveling back and forth between the two.

Speaker of the Senate Tony Luken said, “Students don’t need alcohol to have a good time, but then again, they don’t need football. We like football, and we like to have a good time, and for guys like me, throwing back a couple of beers with friends before the game isn’t out of line. It’s what college is supposed to be about.”

Luken, who is also the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, said he and other students feel they are being treated like second-class citizens.

“You’re important, but not that important is the feeling we are getting,” Luken said. “It was a bit depressing for me that an hour before the game, the S-4 lot was almost completely empty.”

Lot S-4, the lot the resolution intends to convert, is currently used as a lot for game day operations staff to park in. The lot also has reserved spaces in it for special events that take place during football games, such as providing space for ESPN The Magazine at the Iowa-Iowa State game.

“Every student pays $21 per semester to the athletic department. That means to me that when the athletic department makes a policy change, that $42 a year from every student gets them, at the very least, a seat at the table. It doesn’t mean they get promised the bread crumbs of the decision,” Luken said.

Dean of Students Pete Englin said he will be attending the Wednesday night meeting in an effort to listen and to see the direction students want to go with the tailgating issue.

Englin said he has not had enough contact with students over the resolution to come to an accurate understanding of how the majority of students feel about the compromise.

“I’ll be interested to see what the rationale will be for something other than an alcohol-free space,” Englin said. “I prefer students choose safely for themselves when it comes to alcohol.”

The GSB meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union.