Higher attendance for tailgate, few arrests made over Homecoming weekend
Students and visiting alumni filled lot 63 over Homecoming, as police reported increased attendance and minimal crime.
David Wirth, who has two children attending Central Michigan University, said he thoroughly enjoyed the pre-game festivities.
“It’s great,” the Richmond resident said. “Whenever we come up here we always have a good time. The people are great and the kids are great.”
CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said he was happy with attendance Saturday, although he didn’t have an estimate for crowd numbers.
“No question, this is the biggest tailgate we’ve seen this year,” Yeagley said.
He said he believes the weather has been a factor in bringing more students and alumni to the tailgate.
“This is wonderful,” Yeagley said. “We filled up the lot and people have been behaving. It’s great.”
Though Wirth was pleased with tailgate, many students and alumni had reservations because of new regulations imposed upon tailgate in 2009.
Dan Burleson, a 2009 alumnus, said he thinks the tailgating policies have injured the institution of tailgating.
“(They have) taken away a great tradition at CMU,” Burleson said.
Downtime for crime
Yeagley said criminal activity during tailgate was mostly quiet.
There was only one arrest made during tailgate for trespassing, and two citations written — one for minor in possession and one for destruction of property.
There weren’t many infractions for the rest of the weekend, Yeagley said, with two arrests for destruction of property, three MIPs, and three other tickets for disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and an assault.
Nick Bell said he misses the atmosphere of tailgate during his tenure at CMU.
“I used to have to wait over an hour just to get in the lot,” the 2008 alumnus said. “But today we left the house at nine and were parked by 9:11.”
Bell said he was disappointed with not only the tailgate policies, but the poor attendance by CMU students.
“I remember how it used to be — packed,” he said. “This whole lot would be full.”
Kalamazoo senior Drew Speese said this year’s tailgate could not compare to those of previous Homecomings.
He said although he doesn’t like some of the restrictions, he understands a few of them.
“I understand some rules, the no glass rule, and things like that,” he said. “But I think the limit on beer was dumb.”
Ashley Guzick, a 2007 alumna, was also unimpressed by this year’s showing.
Guzick said she was happy to be back at CMU for Homecoming, but she would just have to make the most of what was left of the event.
“I am an alumna, so I remember what it was like,” she said. “Tailgate would start early and fill up every time.”
