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Attending a home football game is one of the most exciting and spirited college events one can imagine. Many ASU students, clad in gold, spend their Saturday afternoon or evening rooting for their fellow Sun Devils at home games, which are festive, exciting, vibrant and packed with adrenaline.

Students who want a little more can purchase tickets for the Inferno Section and have the opportunity to attend pre-game rituals like the Devils Walk, when the football players march into the stadium, or the tailgate, where they can have their face painted or make signs to support the Sun Devils.

Before being admitted to these activities, students are also given wristbands that get them into the game.

At the Oct. 30 homecoming game against Washington State, I intended to get my wristband for the game and then leave and come back later. I asked a security guard at the front gate if this would be OK, and he said that the only way I could leave and come back was if I got a second-tier wristband.

I grudgingly accepted this, and the security guard proceeded to get a second tier wristband for me. At this point, another security guard said students were not allowed to leave at all until after the Devils Walk, but that they could still get first-tier wristbands. I decided that if I wanted to guarantee having a seat at the game, I had no other choice but to comply with the rules. Seating, I was told, is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Although I complied at the time, these rules are unreasonable and do not regard the student’s time, convenience, money or health.

Attending pre-game activities can often take up to four hours, and not all students have the leisure to devote to these activities on top of homework, work and other commitments. Also, students may not have the energy or stamina to attend all pre-game activities in addition to a football game, especially in hot weather.

Students in the Inferno Section spend $149 to attend the season’s home football games, which entitles students to the right of being able to leave and re-enter pre-game activities when they want to.

Furthermore, these rules pose a liability to ASU and its Athletic Department. Students are exposed to significant heat for long periods of time during these pre-game activities. During the Devils Walk, students are often left waiting for the team to enter for up to 30 minutes in the sun, and sometimes without water. If a student were to become incapacitated during these activities, ASU could be liable.

Granted, most ASU students are young and healthy and can withstand the heat, but that doesn’t mean they should have to suffer under extreme conditions.

I feel that attending pre-game activities is a one-of-a-kind experience, and I would recommend it to anyone. However, students should have the right to leave and re-enter pre-game activities and still be guaranteed a seat to the football game. After all, how would it look on TV if the entire ASU student section collapsed from heat stroke in a glob of gold?

Emilie is pumped for next week’s game against Stanford. E-mail her sign suggestions at eeeaton@asu.edu


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