From Spectator to Storyteller: My First Time Tailgating

From a distance, I could hear music playing and laughs from those in attendance. There were people walking from car to car, standing in groups and staying active by playing games. The sunny weather radiated infectious positivity and joy. On Sept. 14, I attended my very first tailgate.

While I wish I could say I had fun as just an attendee, I was there for work, which made the experience a bit different. However, I think viewing the event from this perspective made the time I spent there a lot better.

Getting Out of the Sun and Into the Shade

The very first thing I noticed at the tailgate was how social everyone was. Families gathered in groups, some there to support their kids on the football team, while others came to watch the game as fans.

There were at least 15 cars parked in the grassy area next to the football field. Most, if not all, had popped trunks, chairs and canopy tents. Everyone had their own setup; some tables were put out and chairs placed in different ways, but always facing another person. People were drinking together, having fun conversations and playing cornhole and Frisbee.

Attendees were decked in Albion gear and even brought tents to give themselves shade from the hot sun.

People were bringing food over to other cars and talking to each other. At one point, someone was walking around with a tray of shots and handing them out to whoever wanted one.

There was so much laughter and joy that I wanted to drop the work persona and join them, even though I didn’t understand anything about football.

Finding Community, ‘Intruding Reasonably’

The author of American Heritage’s “Tailgating: The History,” said it’s not known exactly how tailgating started, but it is believed to have been rooted in the early years of college football, around 1869.

As I was walking around, I watched people go from car to car introducing themselves or catching up with old friends. It was nice to see people interact with each other and not just stay in their area. Seeing everyone come together and create a small community within Albion’s was inspiring.

To me, it exemplified how students find community in a small school like Albion; it can be easier to make connections in that kind of setting.

I went to the event with my friend and co-worker, Brighton sophomore Lizzy Kelley, because she was also on assignment for the Pleiad. While there, she introduced me to her aunt, uncle and cousin who were there in support of their son, South Lyon senior Connor Dewan. Funnily enough, they go to the same church as my aunt, uncle and little cousin, who just started his first year at Albion.

Almost immediately, Kelley’s aunt hugged me and insisted on buying me a t-shirt because I was unprepared for the extreme heat.

I’d found my own tailgate family.

Since the college didn’t supply free snacks or meals hot from the grille, they brought their own. Not everyone had the stereotypical hotdogs and hamburgers; some had sandwiches, fruit and salad – both pasta and greens. Along with a multitude of beverages, of course.

In attendance was fashion icon President Wayne Webster, rocking lavender shorts and a gray t-shirt. He is killing the involvement game on campus. When he stopped to talk to us, he said he goes to every single tailgate of the football season. Granted, there will only be five home games this year, but that’s still impressive.

He had his own president’s tent that had at least six tables where people could sit and eat the food provided. We were invited to sit in the shade and take a little break, but I didn’t want to intrude.

Looking back, I think that was the point of the tailgate, to intrude reasonably. Everyone was there to see Albion play, so why not make a few friends while you’re at it? It reminded me of those moms who sit in the audience watching their children dance and pointing out their kids to the people next to them.

Tailgating isn’t just for a specific group but for anyone interested in socializing or sports.

The experience is worth it, even for students. It allows you to leave your room and get a breath of fresh air. Even if you don’t want to stay for long, you can just check out the area and see what everything is about.

I know that if I had gone with a group, I would have only stayed in my little bubble, not wanting to socialize with people I didn’t know. Going as Pleiad staff forced me to socialize  and experience the tailgate in a different light.

Spotlighting Moments From the Lot

One of my absolute favorite parts of the tailgate was the music. Now, understand that I knew nothing about tailgating before going in; the only thing I vaguely knew about them was that there was grilling involved. It didn’t occur to me that there would be music playing. They were playing 2000s party music, like the kind you’d hear in a fraternity basement, but better. I was jamming out.

The event for this game also had significance because it was the 1994 football team’s 30th championship anniversary.

At the tailgate, Jared Wood, alumnus ‘96, spoke about his time on the team and why it was important to him from the bed of a truck while rock music played in the background. He told us two stories: one about how his coach would never let them practice in silence, the second about staying on track during practice when having a hard day.

Both stories had a common denominator: encouragement.

Wood said that hearing their coach’s words during practice helped the team be more encouraging to themselves and others, basically getting “pulled out” of their misery.

“The more vocal you can be, the more supportive you can be, the more you lift yourself out of your own misery, you lift others as well,” Wood said.

When we all come together, like people did at the tailgate, there is very little room for negativity. Being in close quarters with people who are fans of the same team, or even the same sport, allows for connection and bonding.

Even if the team you’re rooting for doesn’t win, you’ll always have the tailgate.