The Kennedy Tailgate
by Emilian Papadopoulos on October 25, 2006 in Culture
Like many other international students at the Kennedy School, I’m doing my best to immerse myself in American culture. With that in mind, I spent a Saturday afternoon tailgating outside the Harvard-Cornell game. It was my first-ever tailgate, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
We had a mostly-KSG crowd. The most important thing to realize about tailgating is that it isn’t just the American way … it’s the Kennedy School way. Tailgating is about …
Networking: While enjoying cheap brews and Wisconsin-cooked brats, we were approached by a number of former Harvard students. One chatted with us about today’s college alcohol culture. She was about 75, and she was holding a half-empty mini bottle of wine. Another tailgater had attended almost every home game in the past 30 years; he mused about the role of sporting events in alumni relations. Blind date for these two at the next tailgate?
Negotiations: One alum asked to borrow our mustard. We gave it to her … and she gave it to everyone else within a five-mile radius. When she returned it, we cried “reciprocity” and demanded brownies. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, we had brownies. Winner’s curse?
Ethics: We found snow outside the hockey rink and had a great snowball fight. When asked about the fight, MPP1 Andres Schabelman emphasized the importance of equality: “I was hitting 7- and 8-year-old kids with as much force as my classmates. It was priceless.” Distributive justice at its finest.
Comparative studies: When asked to compare the New England tailgate to how things are back home, Texas-born MPP1 Zach Neumann said, “”There were fewer people, fewer pick-up trucks, and less beer. But the great thing about the Harvard tailgate is that crimson matches my complexion so much better than burnt orange!”
Ultimately, the Kennedy school is about training the leaders of tomorrow. We can’t know where we’re all going to end up … but I hope that when we get there, we all know how to lead a crowd and run a good tailgate. See you next home game.
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