The Herald editors may have missed the point when it comes to vehicles driving across our campus lawns on home football game days. We have a campus to manage between football games. We hosted numerous prospective student groups in the two weeks that it took us to repair the damage from the “mud” game with Central Arkansas. It was a poor visual impression of mud and ruts rather than the quality campus we know and love. More importantly, we have to maintain a pleasant, quality environment for our day-to-day classes and multiple events during a given week — especially in the heart of the fall semester. Damage like we experienced was disruptive for nearly two weeks until we could finish the repair work just a few days ago. The few lawns where we can bring cars are also the most visible on the 359 “other” days each year when we don’t have home games. We encourage tailgating on all lawns with tents, grills and most everything anyone wishes to set up, but we have to protect our lawns from vehicles for the good of the whole Western experience. We also have to start using all of the parking lots and beautiful lanes all over campus for tailgating. We have thousands of tailgating places across numerous parking areas and campus streets that are wide open for tailgating. Go for it!
Gary Ransdell
President
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If you read this letter, make sure you also read the article on the tailgating forum. In it, Howard Bailey references the fact that one thing see most consistently in surveys is that one of the factors affecting students’ decisions to come to WKU is the beauty of the campus.
So, if that’s why you came here, why do you want to destroy it?
One thing that Western is going to be facing, as it attempts to grow both its athletics program and it’s overall profile, is that there’s a very good reason why most Division I-A schools have their football (and basketball) stadiums adjacent to, *but not on*, the primary campus, surrounded by expansive parking lots.
The huge lots allow for proper tailgating and a good time by attendees, along with the various drinks that go with it – while keeping all of the mayhem away from the primary campus itself. The football lots also double as excess overflow parking during the regular school term.
Parking nightmares for the top sporting events, plus the tailgating issue, are going to be a factor so long as the venues are gridlocked by the primary campus. And because the campus itself is gridlocked by Bowling Green itself, there problem probably won’t be solved by means other than the acquisition and demolition of some of the adjoining residential areas.
The issue of tailgating is, in fact, the tip of a much larger iceberg confronting the University – space concerns.