On Saturday, Sept. 30, Monmouth students, alumni, and fans gathered in the parking lot by Kessler Stadium to celebrate the University’s annual homecoming football game.
Monmouth University competed against Lehigh University where the Hawks reigned victorious with a final score of 49-7.
The homecoming game, often accompanied by mass tailgating, is one of Monmouth’s biggest fall events. Consequently, the University implements rules and regulations so that everyone has a fun time and is respectful of one another.
Vaughn Clay, Ed.D., Director of Student Engagement, emailed guidelines regarding tailgating and other homecoming related activities to students on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
“If you or your friends plan to tailgate at Homecoming, we encourage you to read the full list of tailgating rules. If part of your Homecoming weekend involves the consumption of alcohol, we ask that you do it in a safe, legal, and responsible manner,” Clay advised.
Monmouth University enforces all state and local regulations that pertain to the legal consumption of alcohol. Providing alcohol to minors under the legal age is a violation of law and is subject to criminal prosecution. Drinking games, competitive drinking, and drinking paraphernalia were not allowed.
As a result, SGA sponsored a free cab service in front of the Ocean First Bank Center during game day, running between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm, which took fans back to a local home address if needed.
In previous years the weather was warmer, but this year the weather was less favorable. Although it was cold and rainy, that didn’t stop Monmouth students, alumni, and fans from partaking in the homecoming celebrations.
Liam McGrath, a junior psychology student, who attended the tailgate and game, said, “I don’t think the rain ruined the tailgate at all. The rain was always relatively light and misty, we all got soaked, but I think that actually added to the fun. People were still having a great time regardless of the rainy weather. The overall experience is that it was a lot of fun.”
Thomas Hintelman, a senior chemistry student, agreed with McGrath, “The rain did not ruin the tailgate at all. I still had a fun time.” He added, “The highlight was seeing all the different groups of people including clubs, fraternities, and athletes come together.”
