Students and fans that have attended Wolfpack sporting events this past year may be familiar with the Athletic Department’s “Wolfpack in the House” campaign.
With countless T-shirts and bumper stickers given out, not to mention the campaign’s slogan being shouted over the loudspeaker during basketball games, the WITH program, as it is called, has been hard to miss.
Despite all the publicity, few people know what the point of WITH actually is. Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the lack of awareness is a result of lack of participation.
“They have printed some information about it, but that haven’t done much to really promote it,” Stafford said. “In general, the WITH campaign is there to promote a safe environment. We don’t want to have anything at all that may jeopardize somebody’s safety while they’re out there. As you know, we have had a problem with that in past years.”
The problem Stafford is referring to is the shootings in the fairgrounds during a football game in September 2004 that killed two brothers. In an effort to tighten tailgate security, University officials initially restricted tailgating hours to four hours before kickoff.
After much controversy, Chancellor Oblinger appointed a football task force to resolve the issue. This past year, it was agreed that the tailgating time be extended to five hours before kick-off.
However, this extension was granted with the expectation that an organization would be created to effectively promote good sportsmanship and safety among Wolfpack fans.
The WITH program is the result of this agreement. This fall, it will enhance its presence by recruiting more than thirty volunteers per football game to help promote good sportsmanship and minimize obscene and unsafe behavior.
The WITH committee hopes to draw volunteers from the student body, alumni and faculty. The volunteers will travel throughout the tailgating areas to make known the mission of the WITH program and to encourage people to participate in creating a friendly tailgating atmosphere.
Student Body President Bobby Mills said he hopes the program will help overcome State’s image as an unfriendly place for opposing fans.
“We’re going to create a safe environment, while at the same time, create the best tailgating environment in the nation,” Mills said. “I think that’s the goal we’re setting for ourselves. And that’s a hefty goal. You want someone to come here from an opposing team, and say, ‘Wow, I had a great time at your place.’ I think that’s the ultimate compliment.” Stafford said excessive alcohol consumption is a major cause of unsportsmanlike behavior at Football games, and it is one of the main areas the increased WITH presence can help remedy.
“We want to cut down on any abusive or excessive alcohol consumption in the tailgate areas,” Stafford said. “We know that most of the problems we’ve had before the game, during the game and after the game are related to abuse of alcohol.
“When folks from the opposing schools are in the area, they shouldn’t be harassed or exposed to anything inappropriate or obscene. Things should not be shouted towards them, and they must be treated with respect, given a warm Wolfpack welcome.”
While Mills remains hopeful that an effective WITH program resulting in an improved tailgating atmosphere could result in even more time for tailgating in the future, Stafford disagrees. The vice chancellor said that tailgating time is not likely to exceed five hours, although it could decrease if the program fails.
“The Chancellor and I think that five hours is about the limit to which we would extend tailgating time,” Stafford said. “If the opposite occurs, if the WITH program is not effective, that five-hour limit could be cut back to four, or even less.”
Mills said the program will probably run into kinks, but if the WITH committee is adaptable, it can achieve its goals.
“I think we’ll obviously run into some bumps in the road,” Mills said. “As long as we’re willing to realize that there will be bumps, and be willing to change some things, then I think we’re going to be on the right path.”
