Riley believes that students, and not the lack or presence of kegs, are to blame for the incidents.

“The students got sick because they chose to drink too much. If their motivation was to show the administration that they could get disgustingly drunk whether there was a keg ban or not, some of them obviously succeeded,” Riley said.

Lewis concurred, emphasizing that students would have gotten drunk regardless of the rules imposed on the tailgates.

“I said in my [op-ed] that students wanting to get drunk...would be able to do so with or without kegs,” Lewis wrote.

Angela Salvucci ’03, a member of the Committee on House Life and organizer of the Kirkland House tailgate, suggested that disorganization the morning of the Game could have contributed to the problems that day.

“The House tailgates were supposed to be organized near the dining services tailgate...but because parking attendants didn’t know where we were supposed to be, the tailgates ended up scattered over Cumnock field,” Salvucci said.

At the Committee’s meeting this morning dealing with the near-tragedies of the tailgates, several ideas were floated to regulate the tailgates two years hence. Having House Masters and tutors serve as monitors, making non-alcoholic beverages available and requiring groups to acquire permits to hold parties were all suggestions made, according to Salvucci.

Regardless of specific changes, Salvucci said it was clear to those at yesterday’s meeting that changes would be needed in the future.

“Chief Riley’s words were really moving. He told some stories about very sick people. I would suggest they relate the stories to students, because I know they gave me pause,” she said.