One for the Price of Two

Harvard has promised its undergraduates more attention and better care under the Summers administration, and the University has come through—it will provide undergraduates with free admission to this year’s Harvard-Yale football game. Previously, The Game was the only athletic event for which students at the College had to purchase ticket. This policy often encouraged students to attend only the tailgate parties rather than spend money to actually see The Game itself.

While great for undergrads, this new policy will obviously represent a loss of revenue for Harvard—two years ago tickets cost $12 a pop, so tickets for all undergrads would have cost upwards of $70,000. To make up for this lost revenue, Yalies should pay twice: for both their admission and that of their Cantabrigian hosts. Also, they should buy us hotdogs and beer. Paying for Harvard students is not new for the Elis. They’ve already given Harvard their admissions application fee, helping to reduce the cost of reading the applications of the students who were actually going to get in.

The Yalies should fork the cash over happily and without complaint. And we want to hear cries of praise for The Crimson as they are granted the honor and privilege to enter hallowed Harvard Stadium—the site of so many Eli thrashings by superior Crimson athletes, though not a single concert.

With the new policy, there should be no excuse for any student at the College to miss this age-old showdown and celebrate what will certainly be another victory by the reigning undefeated Ivy League champions. With any luck we’ll actually have 10,000 men of Harvard in attendance this year.

Those attendees who choose to drink should do so responsibly—it might encourage the administration to eliminate the unreasonable prohibition on kegs at tailgate parties before and during The Game. Imbibing in moderation will also decrease the chance of repeating the antics after last year’s game—in which New Haven police maced fun-loving, goalpost-hanging Harvard students reveling in the Crimson’s win.