Growing Pains: Student Tailgating

[facelessjonmoon]

So what is the end game here?

Is this really about a tailgating location or is it something else that is not being mentioned?

[LifeTimeCajun]

i wonder how many games this girl has actually attended in her time at the university.

[zeppelincajun]

Let’s just stop beating around the bush.. when UL’s Athletic Department or whoever complains about lack of game attendance, they are referring to Black people.. and just because we are a PWI does NOT mean cater to just one race! UL wants to preach about diversity but... nvm

— kamaiya. (@djbabykayyy_) September 13, 2019

I’ll just be honest and say that if I was Dr. Maggard I wouldn’t exactly know how to respond to this. The issues being raised on Twitter this week are overwhelmingly coming from black students. I would hope Dr. Maggard will be able to reach out to various on campus organizations led by black students and leaders and engage them in a productive discussion about their concerns. Only problem is: most productive discussions do not stem from inaccurate attacks which is how this whole ordeal started.

I do not envy the POA in this situation. Many complaints stem from the atmosphere not being “lit” like at SU or LSU. I understand the writer for the Vermilion mentioned not actually needing the band to play “Neck.” However, take a look at the comment section of any LSU video of their band playing “Neck.” It will be filled with commenters from the HBCU’s claiming cultural appropriation and theft from the black bands’ traditions. The HBCU bands have a wonderful tradition that cannot and honestly shouldn’t be replicated as it’s theirs and unique to those institutions. It’s seems like a bit of a political minefield and “Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t” situation to me. It’s a fine line to walk when you have to worry about upsetting 1. the older fans if you change the music 2. the younger fans if you don’t change the music or 3. the younger fans who will cry thievery if you too blatantly adopt the sound of other bands.

Truly I don’t envy anyone associated with the university who will be tasked with navigating this situation. However, our black students and student athletes are obviously important to the future success of this university. If they feel unheard or attacked, our administration should take time to listen. I definitely can’t fault Jay or Dr. Maggard’s initial responses to the article. If you converse with someone, you have a decent chance of a dialogue. If you attack someone, they will either defend themselves or attack back.

[facelessjonmoon]

[CajunGrad16]

So what is the end game here?

Is this really about a tailgating location or is it something else that is not being mentioned?

She’s basically saying that not everyone got a survey on what they wanted. I’m pretty sure thousands of people received the surveys but if you received the email and didn’t respond to it then yeah the results may be different because you didn’t take the time to respond. You can’t blame that on the athletic department. Then there were other students saying they wanted free water stations, free this, free that. I’m sitting here reading that like 1. Bring your own water to tailgate, it costs $3-$4 for a big case of water, 2. Students get in free where most universities don’t do that and she and other people believe that there’s a fee in their tuition that goes straight towards athletics and that they pay so much tuition they should be handed everything 3. Some of it not the cheapest concession prices in the country.

When I was a student I didn’t hear any of this complaining and they didn’t have this special student organization to where you can earn rewards just by showing up. In my opinion having been around the football team/athletic department in different capacities, they are doing everything they can to not only make it affordable for everyone but trying to make it a great atmosphere. You gotta make the most of it no matter what.

[Turbine]

Apparently a lot of students feel just like her. ... most students feel the same as she does. So we DO have a problem ...

"Apparently a lot of students feel just like her"

There is a giant bandwagon effect at play here. The number of usTWOers is exceeding the number of Red Zone tailgaters.

[DieHard1280]

Let’s just stop beating around the bush.. when UL’s Athletic Department or whoever complains about lack of game attendance, they are referring to Black people.. and just because we are a PWI does NOT mean cater to just one race! UL wants to preach about diversity but... nvm

— kamaiya. (@djbabykayyy_) September 13, 2019

I’ll just be honest and say that if I was Dr. Maggard I wouldn’t exactly know how to respond to this. The issues being raised on Twitter this week are overwhelmingly coming from black students. I would hope Dr. Maggard will be able to reach out to various on campus organizations led by black students and leaders and engage them in a productive discussion about their concerns. Only problem is: most productive discussions do not stem from inaccurate attacks which is how this whole ordeal started.

I do not envy the POA in this situation. Many complaints stem from the atmosphere not being “lit” like at SU or LSU. I understand the writer for the Vermilion mentioned not actually needing the band to play “Neck.” However, take a look at the comment section of any LSU video of their band playing “Neck.” It will be filled with commenters from the HBCU’s claiming cultural appropriation and theft from the black bands’ traditions. The HBCU bands have a wonderful tradition that cannot and honestly shouldn’t be replicated as it’s theirs and unique to those institutions. It’s seems like a bit of a political minefield and “Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t” situation to me. It’s a fine line to walk when you have to worry about upsetting 1. the older fans if you change the music 2. the younger fans if you don’t change the music or 3. the younger fans who will cry thievery if you too blatantly adopt the sound of other bands.

Truly I don’t envy anyone associated with the university who will be tasked with navigating this situation. However, our black students and student athletes are obviously important to the future success of this university. If they feel unheard or attacked, our administration should take time to listen. I definitely can’t fault Jay or Dr. Maggard’s initial responses to the article. If you converse with someone, you have a decent chance of a dialogue. If you attack someone, they will either defend themselves or attack back.

So, the athletic department withheld
surveys from black students? I'm confused.

[Million$Mullet]

This is beyond ridiculous

[ULvictory]

This is beyond ridiculous

Agreed

[fanof71]

You had to see this coming with her "certain demographic" remark... you'd have to be a fool not to know what she was inferring...

[ZoomZoom]

Again, I suggest the team does not need this distraction. This is the reason Maggard got out front in this "outright shot in the dark I want a platform" approach a student wanted. The 15 minutes of fame are over. Kill the thread here, quit enabling a non topic from having a platform. Quit engaging it on other platforms.

Winning fixes everything.

It's game day.

[ManAboutTown]

Again, I suggest the team does not need this distraction. This is the reason Maggard got out front in this "outright shot in the dark I want a platform" approach a student wanted. The 15 minutes of fame are over. Kill the thread, quit enabling a non topic from having a platform. Quit engaging it on other platforms. Quit enabling it.

Winning fixes everything.

It's game day.

The reason Doc got out in front of this is because Billy was P l S S E D.