By SAMANTHA SETO
The Beta Theta Pi (Beta) fraternity and Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the third annual Blue Jay Tailgate to celebrate the start of the football season. However, due to rain, the event was moved from Saturday, the day of the game, to Sunday.
Hopkins defeated Susquehanna University on Saturday in a 59-7 victory.
The tailgate was held on the Freshman Quad and was open to all students. It was sponsored by Alpha Kappa Psi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Mu, Alpha Phi and Pi Beta Phi.
The event featured music, free giveaways and free food including pulled pork sandwiches. To prepare for the event, fraternity brothers teamed with the Bon Appetit chefs and roasted a pig.
Sophomore Alberto Muniz, Beta public relations chair, commented on the nature of the event.
“It is a simple celebration for the football season and home game,” Muniz said. “It introduces the freshman to the new football season.”
Sophomore Hayden Rosenthal, a member of Beta, also discussed the purpose of the event.
“We have a presence on campus and do something for the student body,” Rosenthal said.
SGA Executive President Jason Plush said the event went well.
“The event was tremendously successful! Though we did have to delay the event one day as a result of the inclement weather, we were successful in bringing students together to celebrate the beginning of the school year and the seasons for our fall athletic teams,” Plush wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Muniz echoed the sentiment.
“The Beta frat brothers are part of Greek Life at Johns Hopkins,” Muniz said. “We serve the community.”
“I’m excited for today’s tailgate event,” Laura Ramos, an International student, said Sunday. “The weather is better today.”
Blue Jays Unlimited, the fundraising branch of the Hopkins Department of Athletics and Southern Tide, a clothing company, teamed-up to sponsor a prize for throwing a football into a trash can.
There were two different distances. If the ball was thrown into the closer of the two, the thrower could win a Southern Tide cup, koozie or croakie — a sunglass strap. If the ball was thrown into the further of the two trash cans, the thrower could win a Blue Jays Unlimited T-shirt.
Plush said he would like to see the event expand.
“I would love to get even more people involved in next year’s tailgate to solidify the event as a staple in the fall to celebrate the beginning of the fall athletic season,” Plush wrote. “After three successful years, the Big Blue Jay Tailgate should be increasing the number of students it reaches each successive year. I’m looking forward to seeing the event flourish and grow in years to come!”
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