LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Just over half of surveyed students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said they want red balloons to keep soaring over Memorial Stadium after touchdowns despite protests about the environmental impact.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that almost 52 percent of the roughly 3,800 students surveyed indicated they wanted to keep the tradition alive. Almost 43 percent argued the practice should end, while 6 percent said they didn’t care.
The university uses biodegradable balloons tied with cotton string to minimize the environmental impact.
Sophomore Brittni McGuire is president of Sustain UNL, a student-led environmental sustainability organization. She says the balloons still take years to decompose and are a threat to wildlife.
There have been other attempts to end the tradition, including a billboard campaign last year launched by a Florida nonprofit.
photo source: big red fury