Burger bust
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Scheduling problems, miscommunication stop ACC tailgate party before it begins By Jane E. Stalter, Staff writer Many students were angered and confused last Friday when security personnel shut down a tailgate party sponsored by the All College Council before the Summer Send-off concert at Midway Stadium. “We were told to either go in to the stadium or get out of the parking lot,” said one St. Thomas student, who wished to remain anonymous. The student said ASIA Security officers told them at 5:30 p.m. that it was time for the ACC Tailgate Party to close and for the first band of the night, Wookie Foot, to begin playing. Some students wondered if the party was shut down because of St. Thomas Activities and Recreation wanting students to buy food at the concessions stand inside the stadium. Delays in the bus schedule and in the delivery of the grill caused some of the problems. Students were required to take a shuttle bus to the concert. ACC was forced to quit the barbecue with a surplus of food, leaving many students going to the concert hungry. A group of students resumed the tailgate party in a nearby parking lot after getting permission from ASIA Security and St. Paul Police officers. |
Matt Deutsch of the ACC tosses burgers and buns in the trash after being forced to shut down ACC’s free BBQ. The grilling was scheduled to end at 5:30 p.m., but because of bus delays and the grill arriving late, many students entered the concert without eating. Mike Ekern/The Aquin
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Because the St. Paul Police and ASIA were so agreeable about letting the party continue, many questioned why the tailgate party was scheduled to close at 5:30 p.m. in the first place. Although the opening act began at 5:30 p.m., the Violent Femmes were not scheduled to go on until 7 p.m. “Originally STAR told us that the reason the tailgate had to end at 5:30 was because of the safety regulations enforced by ASIA,” said Matt Deutsch, vice president of public relations for the ACC. “However, when we talked to both ASIA and the St. Paul Police on Friday, neither group said that they were worried about the students being gone by 5:30.” Bryan Feldhaus, the newly-elected ACC President, said: “It just kind of hurt that, after we had taken the time to arrange for an event that was not only supporting STAR but the UST students, that we were asked to stop.” The ACC had come up with the idea for the tailgate party a week before the concert as a way of showing its support for STAR and to give new and old ACC delegates a chance to work together in a relaxed atmosphere. ACC elections were held last month, and new members started their term May 1. ACC proposed the tailgate idea to STAR, which proposed the idea back. Funding for the event came from ACC funds taken from student activity fees. |
Amy Graff, STAR adviser for the past three years, gave her version of the story when students began questioning the reasons behind STAR asking for the tailgate party to close.
“From the beginning we told the ACC that we would like them to end the tailgate by 5:30,” Graff said. “This was on account of liability issues. At 5:30, when the concert started, we needed security to go inside and watch the crowds, [so we] wouldn’t have anyone outside to make sure that nothing got out of hand.”
Graff said that because they had been informed of the tailgate idea only a week before the Summer Send-off, STAR didn’t have time to plan extra security for the event. Graff said she hoped ACC and STAR could work together next year on another tailgate party and concert with more notice.
ACC held a free barbecue Tuesday in the Lower Quad for students with food left over from the concert.
Students walking by were invited to help eat some of the 250 leftover hamburgers, 150 leftover hotdogs and chips. The event attracted a large crowd.
“Despite our unfortunate luck on Friday, the ACC still had a good time and was still able to provide the students with an end of the year service,” Feldhaus said.
Jane E. Stalter can be reached at jestalter@stthomas.edu