As my husband and I walked to the Quad on Saturday morning before the LSU game, we were appalled at the amount of empty beer boxes and cans that were littering campus. From mounds of trash in front of the Bryce Lawn apartments to the scattered debris outside on the lawns of fraternity houses and Bryant Hall, we wondered what ever happened to pride in our campus. Little did we realize that this would be just the tip of the iceberg of what was to come that day and evening.

We tailgate on the quad with our family prior to nearly every home game and this weekend would be no exception. There were student tailgate parties on three sides of us and some alumni in front of us who had children who were students at UA.

The student tailgate parties got so out of control at one point that we were afraid to take our two nieces out of our tents to the restrooms. We saw young adults doing anything and everything. And I mean everything.

They invaded our tents, tried to steal food and drinks, destroyed our property, accosted us, insulted us and generally acted like animals. The absolute lack of control, class or modesty was disgusting. I realize that some college students party, but this was beyond partying. This was an orgy.

After the game, we packed up our tailgating site and looked around at the mess that was once the Quad of the University of Alabama. The students around us had trashed their own campus. There was garbage ankle deep in between all sidewalks. There were sofas and chairs just abandoned for someone else to deal with later. Sadly enough, there were unconscious students buried beneath some of the rubble. It reminded me of a high school party where someone’s parents were out of town and the 50 people who were invited had all invited 50 more people until the flood of humanity that poured in had destroyed everything in sight.

It was a sobering and heartbreaking sight to see.

Jamie Blizard Johnson is a 1999 graduate of The University of Alabama