IUPD works football tailgating

With the Homecoming game Saturday, more football fans than normal will gather to support IU in its battle against Northwestern. \nThis also means more tailgating will go on in the Red Lot across the street from Memorial Stadium. \nBut police say Homecoming events don't necessarily mean there will be more drinking.\n"It's going to depend on the weather, the crowd size and amount of officers we have available in that area," IU Police Department Sgt. Don Schmuhl said. "But just because it's Homecoming doesn't mean we'll encounter more alcohol. If the weather is nice and warm we have people out and doing things, if it's cold and rainy we tend to have more people at home."\nIUPD Officer Martin East is a 20-year veteran and has worked the Red Lot during several games. He said there is a reason a large quantity of police circulate during the partying.\n"There was a time when everybody just turned their heads, and nobody bothered with it," East said. "But we are proactively now trying to combat underage drinking. Now we check IDs. In the past, it was a safe haven because underage drinkers felt like no one would bother them."\nEast said he feels people going to the Red Lot are just looking to have a good time, but problems still arise from inexperienced drinkers.\n"You get kids who have never drank before and they drink too much. Alcohol affects their judgement, and then we have a problem. I think that's the whole problem," he said.\nBut the police presence generates mixed reactions from tailgaters who frequent the Red Lot on game day.\nJunior Quinton Weisberg said he feels the police aren't out "to get anybody." \n"They don't give us a problem about underage drinking, which is good," Weisberg said. "I think they're just here in case there's a big problem. They walk by; they don't hassle us. I'm glad they're here in case there's a problem."\nOther tailgaters don't think the police presence is warranted. \nNon-student Greg Rankin was at IU's last home game against Kentucky for only his second tailgating experience. He said he didn't like the cops being there.\n"They're trying to break up my party," Rankin said. "I just had a confrontation with the cops five minutes ago with about nine cops surrounding the keg. But we were all 21, so everything was straight."\nRankin said the police are there for no reason.\n"I don't see any crowds," he said. "I just see people by their automobiles drinking some beer." \nRankin said he has tailgated at other universities, including the University of Michigan and Ohio State University, and he doesn't feel there's any danger at IU. \nHe said the police are more of a nuisance than a service.\nSchmul said the officers are doing their jobs to keep tailgaters in line.\n"If you are under 21, I would not consume alcohol in that area, and if you are 21 or older you should not violate state law, such as public intoxication, furnishing alcohol to minors and operating a vehicle while intoxicated," Schmuhl said.\n-- Contact staff writer Brandon Morley at bmorley@indiana.edu.