EDITORIAL: A new tradition for Penn victory

Penn officials should work with, not against, students to keep winning safe but fun. When the Quakers clinch the Ivy League football title tomorrow -- and they will -- the University Police force will be on hand to ensure that loyal fans don't rush the field and tear down the goal posts. Why all the fuss over a little celebratory act? The fact is that although ripping down the goal posts is a tradition, it's time to find a new one. Students at other institutions have been seriously injured and killed as a result of similar acts, and it just isn't worth the risk to people and property. Instead, University officials should work with students to devise a system that balances safety with celebration, such as by letting students rush the field without going near the goal posts. Thus far, University officials have mishandled the situation. Even if tearing down the goal posts is the wrong way to celebrate, students should have the right to safely show their Quakers pride. But there is another alternative. By planning ahead and using police and security officers to guard the goal posts, the University can still provide students with a chance to party. It's a shame that this has become an issue of the police versus the student body, as opposed to an opportunity for everyone associated with the University to show some Penn pride. While safety concerns dictate a change in tradition, there's no need to take the fun out of football.