Tailgaters Must Apply for Space

Landing a spot at this year’s Harvard-Yale tailgate is starting to look a lot like Harvard’s admissions process—there’s an application with a essay, in which student groups must prove why they are “a valuable fit.”

All House Committees (HoCos) and student groups planning to host tailgates at The Game on Nov. 18 will have to submit applications by next Monday, according to Campus Life Fellow John T. Drake ’06.

U-Hauls, which used to be a staple at Harvard-Yale tailgates before they were banned in 2004, will also be making a comeback—they are listed as an option on the application.

“The Dean’s Office decided that it was totally fine for U-Hauls to come back,” Drake said, adding that both the Boston Police Department and the College agreed they were safe.

The applications will help organizers better coordinate the event and make the tailgate run more smoothly than in 2004, Drake told The Crimson.

Drake said that in evaluating the applications, the coordinators will be asking “what are you doing that makes your tailgate a valuable fit?” rather than giving preference to large groups.

“We’re not doing this so we can weed out people,” Drake said. “We’re doing it to collect information.”

Drake said that both official and unofficial student groups, including final clubs, are welcome to apply. He added that organizers have not determined how many spaces will be granted to Harvard and Yale groups.

Drake said every HoCo will be guaranteed a spot, but not all requests for space will be granted for other groups.

The application asks student leaders to list items the groups will have at their tailgate—vehicles such as U-Hauls, furniture, food, or a DJ. Groups are also asked to describe the community they target and what makes their tailgate unique.

Groups are allowed to bring in “anything legal,” Drake said. “Any food, furniture, crazy stuff.”

Drake added this application system will also allow the College to assist groups with logistics if necessary.

“We’re talking about it early and talking about how it can work,” he said.

Ever since last month’s announcement that no student groups will be allowed to serve alcohol at the tailgate, Drake has been urging HoCos and student groups to be innovative with their tailgate plans while following the rules.

“I want to see craziness and creativity,” he said last week.

Black Students Association (BSA) president Jason C. B. Lee ’08, who has been involved in the student commission advising the College about the tailgate, welcomed the application process.

“I don’t have a problem with it. They have a limited amount of space,” he said yesterday. He added that BSA will be offering more “extravagant” fare than its usual hamburgers and hot dogs.

“Maybe catfish,” he said.

Application forms and other general information are available on www.thetailgate2006.com.

—Staff writer Katherine M. Gray can be reached at kmgray@fas.harvard.edu.