Football season is back in full swing at Ole Miss, and for students and Oxford residents alike, it is a time in which energy is high and excitement is at its peak.
As a participant in these festivities, it is hard to say anything negative about a game day in the Grove. The sense of community is at an all-time high — alumni, students, fans and fun-seekers unite with the common goal of seeing Kiffin and the squad earn a win.
Conversely, there would be an equal amount of dissatisfaction expressed if you were to ask those who do not partake in game day activities.
With the madness of football season, the last thing people tend to think about are the people who are required to work during the game.
Food service workers struggle to deal with an overload of hungry, possibly inebriated customers because the buildings are not made to accommodate so many people.
Working at Chick-fil-A in Oxford, I have watched our entire team over-stock, rearrange things and go over protocols the day before a home game because we know what to expect. Yet it is often in vain. No matter how much preparation we do, we simply cannot be ready for the crowd that is to come.
This past weekend, a game staff member came to order sandwiches for security who had been working nonstop. Predictably, the workers had their hands full all day managing the volume of visitors. Thus, they had not eaten. I cannot even function at 8 a.m. without something in my stomach.
On top of that, we have welcomed perhaps the largest freshman class in school history. Sound familiar? It is probably because we said that last year and the year before. The number of students here at Ole Miss has only increased and will continue to do so — a buck against national trends.
Although more enrollment opens doors for more fun, involvement and opportunity, it creates the unique mayhem that comes with a SEC school outgrowing its small town roots.
Students, faculty and residents are all aware of Oxford’s overpopulation and have seen and felt its effects outside of football season with things like parking, traffic and housing.
This housing crisis hit both incoming students and current tenants all over the city, as some were forced to relocate and could not find somewhere to stay before school began. It did not just hit students but local families as well. Fans add to this issue by renting properties in town to use for only four weekends a year.
On campus, there are thousands of students and not nearly enough parking spots. So I am sure you can imagine what it is like during the hustle and bustle of game days.
It is not a secret Oxford is way too congested for the impact the university brings. If students have trouble adjusting to it, it is only 10 times harder for a visitor.
Some may feel as though it is one day of craziness that subsides by the end of Saturday. In reality, life in Oxford becomes increasingly inconvenient — not just for one day but for an entire weekend.
When Sunday comes and everyone has recovered, our beloved visitors head to their respective homes while we Rebels are left to pick up the pieces and do it all again the next week. The weekend binge is a grand affair that is also quite draining for some beyond just a measly hangover.
For many, Saturday nights in Oxford will be remembered not just for football and tailgates but also for the chaos that ensues. Think about this next time you chat with one of the university’s many staffers working on game day or take a trip down to the Square to celebrate.
Chequoia Adderley is a senior IMC major from Pascagoula, Miss.
