SGA Ups Tailgating

To increase attendance and support for women’s athletic events, the Student Government Association (SGA) proposed a bill to allocate money towards tailgating events for non-binary/women’s varsity games and club sports teams. $5,000 per semester from the Student Activities Fee will be allocated at the discretion of the SGA Athletic Life Coordinator and Athletic Director for marketing and promotions. These funds will be used primarily for entertainment and food.

The SGA hosted two of these tailgates for women’s athletic games in the fall, which resulted in markedly higher attendance. Sophomore Senator and Speaker of the Senate Jenny Lundt shared her outlook on the passing of this bill.

“During my time at Colgate, I’ve noticed that women’s athletic games are frequently under attended, which is disheartening because Colgate is a division one school with a lot of really talented athletes that don’t receive adequate recognition for their athletic prowess. Most Colgate students will say that they attended a football game during homecoming or a men’s lacrosse game, but how many people on campus have attended a women’s softball game? The answer is simply not enough,” Lundt said. “SGA hosted a tailgate for the women’s soccer team in the fall and was wildly successful; it was heartwarming to see so many members of our community from various organizations and niches within the greater Colgate community [come] together for a mutual appreciation of our talented women’s student-athletes. I hope to see these efforts carried forward with the passing of this bill.”

 Student body President Matt Swain also shared his thoughts.  

“I am pleased by the collective efforts of [SGA’s senators]. Without their hardwork I’m not sure we would’ve been able to pass this bill,” Swain said.