Nothing puts a damper on game day festivities like heatstroke. One minute you're swaying happily to the Good Ole Song, feeling a bit dizzy from all the revelry, then all of a sudden you're lying supine on a stretcher trying to explain to paramedics what day of the week it is. As Athletic Department officials predicted, the demand for bottled water rose with the mercury. When the demand for water exceeded the readily available supply, the resulting scarcity endagered the health of fans.
At the next home football game, Scott Stadium officials should ensure that concession stands have inexhaustible supplies of cheap water. Unexpectedly high demand for water amidst sweltering heat caused most of the stadium's concession stands in the main concourse to run out of bottled water by the end of the game last Saturday. To avoid this situation in the future, stadium officials should let students bring sealed bottles of water to football games.
Once the bottled water supply dried up, vendors began selling cups of tap water for the same price as bottled water, which helped to alleviate the scarcity -- assuming you didn't mind standing in line. A very long line. Some students reported standing in lines for up to 30 minutes just to buy a cup of water for $3.50. To put that in perspective, tap water cost 50 cents more than a 16 oz. lemonade.
To compensate for the unexpected demand, officials tried to make sure vendors on the upper level had sufficient supplies of bottled water, and that medical stations were properly equipped. Associate Athletic Director Jason Bauman assures customers that concession stands gave out free water "whenever medical situations came up" -- indeed they did. The Daily Progress reported that between 135 and 150 people were treated at the football game last Saturday, mostly for heat exhaustion and dehydration. To prevent this from happening at future games, Bauman and the Athletic Department "are taking precautions to make sure fans have the best experience possible."
Bottles of any kind are currently prohibited to keep out alcohol, which, as some dexterous students will tell you, isn't too difficult to sneak in. Considering the relative ease with which students smuggle illicit materials past guards, there doesn't seem to be much danger in letting fans bring in one, sealed water bottle to keep themselves hydrated. Keeping people healthy is more important than keeping them sober.
To avoid long lines at concession stands, vendors should set up separate booths throughout the stadium specifically for water. One of the reasons for such long lines is that customers who wanted only water often had to stand with customers who wanted food, candy, etc. Setting up stations that sell only water -- if only for the next few games -- would certainly speed things up. And some of those stations should be near the Hill, where several afflicted students passed out from heat exhaustion, among other reasons.
Obviously, the goal should be to distribute water before medical situations arise. You shouldn't need to collapse to get free water. And it seems the Athletic Department is taking every precaution to make sure that fans at the next home game are properly hydrated. Next home game, students should take care to hydrate before arriving at the stadium. And no, bourbon and Coke doesn't count.
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