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Chancellor designates lot for student, alumni tailgating |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 |
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by ANNE BAKER
News Desk Editor
Those who tailgate at Appalachian State University will find 126 new spaces designated for student use during football season in the Greenwood Parking Lot.
The additional spaces will be distributed by the lottery system that is currently in place for tailgating in the Raley Hall Parking Lot.
The Raley Parking Lot currently designates 156 spaces to students who wish to tailgate.
Although the Greenwood Parking Lot was previously available for general public tailgating use, Appalachian’s Department of Athletics came to the Student Government Association wishing to designate the entire parking lot to their donors, SGA president David Mofford said.
Mofford sent a letter to both the athletic department
and Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock requesting 150 spaces in Greenwood
Parking Lot be set aside for student tailgaters.
“…it is my belief that 150 spaces in Greenwood [Parking] Lot is a
compromise that will both satisfy my constituents and hopefully help to
alleviate the difficult position the Department of Athletics and the
Yosef Club finds itself in,” Mofford said in the letter.
However, after deliberation, the decision was reached by the Chancellor
to designate 126 spaces in the Greenwood Parking Lot instead of 150,
according to a SGA press release on July 22.
“This is actually more than we had before,” Mofford said. “Although
[the Greenwood lot] was an open lot, students were not guaranteed
anything.”
He said the 126 spaces are now 100 percent guaranteed to go to students.
“I appreciate the willingness of the Chancellor to listen to the voices
of students on this issue,” Mofford said in the press release.
“Students love our football team and want every opportunity to be close
to the game day atmosphere. It is crucial that we do not shut students
out just because of a large check from a donor.”
Yet not all students agree with the decision to designate the 126
spots, and believe the Greenwood Parking Lot should stay available to
the public.
“As a student who frequents football games, this decision gives the
impression that students can be bought out by donors,” said Darren C.
Hampton, a junior pre-professional biology major.
In the letter written to the athletic department as well as the
Chancellor, Mofford said he wished to establish a planning committee in
order to address student parking on football game days.
“This is a battle which has been fought by [previous SGA] Presidents
Watkins and Gilliam, and we must come up with a long-term solution
which satisfies both parties,” Mofford said in the letter. “This battle
cannot be fought year after year, as I have expressed several times to
officials in the Department of Athletics.”
For further updates, visit the SGA Web site, www.sga.appstate.edu, or call 262-6254.
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