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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

Psychotic Irish free-for-all

We are on the verge of losing one of our most treasured traditions: Irish football Saturdays.
This new seating policy is, at best, ridiculous. While I see where it came from, its good intentions are outweighed by its inevitable consequences.
General admission necessitates that one camp out and/or wait in line for hours to get a good "seat" for the game. If you arrive late and want to sit with your friends, good luck calling them with excellent gameday cell reception.
Aside from the consequences for the poor lone straggler, this is a "divisive and safety issue" as one of my friends wisely stated.
Think about the post game rush to South as we run to celebrate a victory or eat our feelings after a loss, or the rush to post-game Mass, or the line that forms outside of the Basilica before the Easter Vigil and the insanity that ensues once the doors are opened as we frantically and not-so-reverently run around to find seats. Imagine these rushes on a much larger scale as we rush into the stadium to get the best spot possible. That doesn't sound so safe, does it? If you think I'm exaggerating, feel free to talk to my friend who was nearly trampled when the student section rushed the field last year.
With this new policy, students will spend their game DAY waiting in line instead of engaging in the traditional Irish gameday experience. If you want a deserted campus, devoid of excited students, that resembles the set of a Western film, by all means go ahead with this new policy. If we say hello to general admission, we can say goodbye to tailgates, Irish solidarity and the football Saturdays as we knew and loved them.
This letter may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it expresses a sentiment that I am sure is shared by many of my fellow students and Irish football fans.
This seating policy jeopardizes solidarity, safety, and student enjoyment in Irish gamedays. It will create a psychotic Irish free-for-all. As the old adage goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."


Amanda Bambury
junior
Pasquerilla East Hall
April 18