Be safe and smart when tailgating
As everyone prepares to head back for the Fall Semester, there is energy in the air. With the start of classes means the start of the college football season.
It's the time when students line up to get season tickets and prepare to root on their team every Saturday. Yes, it's great to be back, especially if you're a sports fan.
What has happened, especially over the past few years, is a need for more ways to entertain during tailgate parties. As such, drinking has increased, and the cops are more then happy to make an arrest for illegal consumption or disorderly conduct.
Now, I'm not here to give you a lecture on whether your should drink at a tailgate, but I do want to offer a word of warning. Below you will find a one minute YouTube video posted just one day after a large student fight took place during a pre-game tailgate party.
It was just shortly before the Indiana Hoosiers were to host the Cardinals of Ball State. There was a great student turn out, from both sides, and after a lot of drinking, the two sides decided to go after each other. It's not been determined who or what started the fight, but when it was over thousands of beer cans, cups, and trash were thrown at students, vehicles, alumni, and officers.
The result was a black eye for the Hoosiers, but worse, it ended in a lot of arrests, charges, and fines for students. This time, though, these were not misdemeanors being charged. Many of these students got permanent charges put toward their college records, as well as, their personal records.
How did the police catch so many students? The first answer is by the officers on the scene. The second was videos as seen below. Yes, YouTube became legal grounds for pinpointing many students involved in the brawl.
In fact, if you ever read your paperwork, you probably know that by issuing you a student ID card, the university is legally allowed to file your information, which can then be accessed by the police. Once the police see your mug on the video and match it to your school ID, you get a free ride to the police department.
I share these details because many of the students thought nothing of being on the video. In some cases, they might never have noticed it. In the end, it cost many students their careers simply because they didn't walk away from a bad situation.
My final word of advice is this: have fun, but be smart. Drinking in college can lead to many crazy events. What might seem harmless enough one day can have you sitting in jail the next. Go out and support your favorite college football team, but make sure you understand that your bad behavior can can get recorded.
Comments