Student Senate voted 15-13 against a resolution Wednesday, which would have allowed large containers and pony kegs of beer during tailgating before Eastern football games.

The resolution was authored by senate member Joe Gubbins and Student Senate Speaker Michael Walsh. Currently, small kegs of beer and large containers filled with beer are not allowed during tailgating, and both Gubbins and Walsh wanted to change that.

Gubbins said he spoke with police who said no arrests have been made this semester during tailgating.

“They’re punishing us for no reason,” Gubbins said about the university changing previous rules on tailgating regulations.

Walsh said it’s a privilege to tailgate and a longtime tradition.

“Being 21, my privilege is to have two or three beers if I want,” Walsh said. “(Tailgating) is a tradition that needs to be upheld.”

Ryan Herdes, chair of senate University Development and Recycling Committee, said by allowing tailgating, the university is allowing students to drink excess amounts of alcohol on campus.

“I’ve always disagreed with the whole idea of tailgating,” Herdes said. “I disagree with the resolution entirely.”

Brent Antesberger and Dan O’Hara, members of the Sigma Pi fraternity, said tailgating is a tradition on campus and should stay that way.

“Tailgating has always been a tradition at this university,” Antesberger said.

Tailgating is optional and is the only reason some students go to the games, Antesberger said.

“Let (students) enjoy themselves or they’re not going to come,” Antesberger said. “If this doesn’t pass then there’s another tradition lost.”

O’Hara said if pony kegs and large contianers remain banned from tailgating, the event will eventually disappear completely. He said the campus would be segregated.

“A lot of people look forward to tailgating,” O’Hara said. “This brings everyone together.”

“The students’ voices weren’t heard tonight,” Walsh said after the resolution was failed.

Ryan Berger, chair of student relations committee, said pony kegs sound like objects small enough to be thrown but big enough to injure people.

“I don’t want pony kegs at my tailgating,” Berger said.

Pony kegs are just smaller kegs that hold less alcohol, Gubbins said.

Current policy at Eastern also bans “large receptacles designed to hold multiple individual servings,” Gubbins said.

“Multiple servings means more than one and no one’s going to bring a cooler with one beer in it,” Gubbins said.

Shirley Stewart, interim vice president for student affairs, said the “large receptacles” statement refers to garbage cans or larger containers filled with beer and said the main problem in tailgating is safety.

“We are providing the ground for people to come and drink,” Stewart said. “We’re trying to keep everybody safe.”

Berger said the resolution should be rewritten to make everyone in the senate happy.

The senate passed a resolution during the meeting Wednesday, which recommends the Board of Trustees modify the way they search for a president.

“This has nothing to do with President Hencken,” Walsh said about interim President Lou Hencken.

Senate member George Lesica said Eastern is strong on sharing its governance and the university should take more time to choose a president.

“I think Lou is a good president, I think he’s good guy,” Lesica said. “One of our strengths is our commitment to share governance.”

Lesica said the process of choosing a president should be longer before a decision is made.

“We are all completely uninformed on what it takes to be a college president,” Lesica said.

Student Senate meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.