Student Hockey Seats May Go

[Sioux-cia]

Which is exactly why someone, ie. Bobby Haskins, needs to take some initiative and make it madatory for people who get season tickets for the first time to attend a meeting with the UND AD and REA about this.

It's not like those of us on this board are infinately more brilliant than the people who make these deicisions.  They can do it too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh but Diggler (also known as a God) we are. I agree with you about the mandatory meeting for new student season ticket holders. I think this was brought up before in this thread. Everyone now should attend the meeting and every new freshman class whould attend. Your still a student aren't you? Why don't you suggest this to Bobby H. and the AD acting/or to be?

[7>4]

Crapchella will not abolish the student section...that would not happen. The players and coaches alone wouldn't let that happen.

However, I really do believe moving the section would be good for the atmosphere, less friction between students and non-students. Just imagine a sea of green behind the opposing goalie doing the sieve chant in unison...while standing the whole game if they so choose, put the band with them and you have an environment like Columbus or other bigtime road games.

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[schmidtdoggydog]

I may be wrong but I heard that Kupchella didn't even go

[NorthDakotaHockey]

[BigGreyAnt41]

Where was he for the Thursday game, the Final Five, and most every other game in between the photo ops?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

On thursday he was in Arizona getting money for the university. He said he watched the game in a bar or something with some Sioux fans.

[MikeyPete]

As a season ticket holder, I will not give into anyone that fell the students must go. If you move them behind the goal, don't you loss seats? I have been to games when the students are on break and the place is quit and IT STINKS that way. I am a true hockey fan I go to the game to watch it and be a part of it. I feel that some of the season ticket holders are just there to have a night out. It's more of a social event for them. I hope that one day the U will get a president the does not have puppet string attached.

KEEP THE STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigmrg74]

[morley]

One of the main reasons there were more problems this year with students was due to the way that the student season tickets for the lower bowl were distributed.

What a great idea, lets give away the best tickets the students have to random students in a drawing. Hey maybe if we are lucky a hand full of the die hard students who used to stand in line for hours before a game might get a few of these tickets and will be able to keep all the damn NOOBS in check. And don't try to argue that every student should have a right to those seats. If they want those seats they should have to pay their dues. Stand in line the way I did for all those years. I made some friends along the way. Students eventually graduate, as they leave it opens places for new students. These new students need to decide how important Sioux hockey is to them.

I'll admit the first year of REA was bad with standing and swearing. But then the word got out that it wasn't going to be tolerated. Just about the time the "die hard" students who put forth the time and effort to get those good seats get things turned around; Dr. Cup Cake changes the season ticket distribution to random chance of luck. Therefore, removing the majority of the students who had the appreciation and the desire to improve things.

My point is that just as we are starting to make strides towards an improvement, Dr. Cup Cake throws a loop into the system. Consistancy is the way to get things done. Pick something positive and stick with it. With time, things will work themselves out.

[Diggler]

Kupchella isn't the one who changed the policy. A bunch of students whined about how unfair it was to have to wait in line for like a week in order to get tickets. Therefore the brilliant idea of not being able to line up until Monday morning was made and then running to the doors. This idea went down the toilet when 2000 students showed up. This made it impossible to do as serious injuried could have occured. Instead of just switching to GA for everyone though, the stupid idea of the lottery was implemented.

They should simply go back to GA for everyone for every game. It works just fine and that way no one has to wait in line for a week. REA could also sell rush seating for the games when the students don't fill the section.

[redwing77]

Kupchella isn't the one who changed the policy.  A bunch of students whined about how unfair it was to have to wait in line for like a week in order to get tickets.  Therefore the brilliant idea of not being able to line up until Monday morning was made and then running to the doors.  This idea went down the toilet when 2000 students showed up.  This made it impossible to do as serious injuried could have occured.  Instead of just switching to GA for everyone though, the stupid idea of the lottery was implemented. 

They should simply go back to GA for everyone for every game.  It works just fine and that way no one has to wait in line for a week. REA could also sell rush seating for the games when the students don't fill the section.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Never will happen. GA means they cannot control what is going on.

What they should do is a modified lottery. Seniors and Juniors get first crack at lower bowl seats. Freshmen and Sophomores can pay their dues in the upper bowl.

[Diggler]

REA doesn't care from what I understand. They want as little to do with the process as possible. If we wanted all GA seats, they wouldn't care. The second year at REA worked just fine with all GA tickets and it can work just fine again. It's the easiest thing to implement and results in the fewest problems when it season tickets.

I just thought of another problem that happened this year. There was no contract that season ticket holders had to sign. I'd think this made it a bit more difficult for people to be permanetly kicked out of the arena for bad behavior.

[BigGreyAnt41]

REA doesn't care from what I understand.  They want as little to do with the process as possible. If we wanted all GA seats, they wouldn't care.  The second year at REA worked just fine with all GA tickets and it can work just fine again.  It's the easiest thing to implement and results in the fewest problems when it season tickets. 

I just thought of another problem that happened this year.  There was no contract that season ticket holders had to sign.  I'd think this made it a bit more difficult for people to be permanetly kicked out of the arena for bad behavior.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I remember right, the swearing problem is what caused them to go to season tickets. That way if somebody is a problem they can just take away all their tickets and can get rid of them.

That's what I seem to remember.

[Sioux-cia]

Is the problem swearing? My seats are behind the goal where the visitors are twice and the only "swearing" I have heard is the "..he sucks sh$$" when the opposition is being introduced. And sometimes its only "..he sucks". I've heard the same chant at other arenas when we have been introduced.

Is the problem standing? I thought there was some distribution of seating so that there would be minimal obstruction of the suite holders view. And why aren't the the ushers telling people to sit down, they're not there to watch the game, they should do what ushers are suppose to do. Since I'm watching the game maybe they have and I haven't noticed.

Is the problem cheering, yelling , groaning, ooohing to loudly? Distribute ear plugs, I'll give a cash contribution so they can be given out for free.

The letter from Kupchella doesn't mention what the complaint was.

[Diggler]

I think the problem is swearing. Every game is the "who's he" chant and then there is probably one other chant a game that involves swearing. Students should try to stop swearing because ultimately, who cares? It is such a stupid argument. I don't really care if people swear or anything, but some people do. Rather than arguing with these people, just stop swearing because it ultimately doesn't even matter. It's just a waste of time to continue to argue about it and I'm just tired of people whining about it.

[Fedorov]

I'm coming to this party late, but this obviously is an ongoing problem.

Here are some random facts:

There has not been any published research that shows that students are standing the standing behavior has changed, or that the swearing problem has not improved. The fact that cheers with swearing can still be heard does not mean that nothing has improved.

The students were told they would get four sections on the lower level. For those in 107 and 110 complaining about the students standing, you are not even meant to be in those seats.

Students were told they could register for a suite for each game, which never happened.

Students were told they could go to their seats anytime on game day and not be required to wait outside. That did not happen.

Students were told that good college bands (with some specifically listed) would come to REA, but they haven't.

Students that are "good fans" and are going to be consistently going to the games do not get the lower level seats. This year it was random, and even the year before it was people that could wait for a weekend to get tickets or found someone else to wait for them. This is true with general public seats. The people that pay more money for the better seats are not "better fans."

A student's ticket is always that student's responsibility. A general public ticket can be sold with no sesponsibility attached.

Here are some random thoughts:

The entitlement that students feel they have for tickets is not much different than the public's belief that their money entitles them to seats.

Students are not going to be able to stand anywhere in the arena without upsetting someone.

Standing is not a stupid habit. If you look at the history of sports, fans have not always sat down.

Forcing students to attend a meeting about cheers or anything else is a double standard if you don't require all season ticket holders.

The atmosphere at REA is good, but it could be a lot better. It would be great if the entire crowd would engage in cheers. It would be awesome if UND fans acted the same at REA as they do for the road games.

[hockey10]

I sat in the student section I didnt see too many problems. They had the sit down police come around whenever we stood for longer than some thought we should. It was one guy who wore the same sweater every game, he would tell everyone to sit and everyone would. Swearing besides the introductions I never noticed to be a large problem, except for a particular October series with a "f*ck the gophers" chant. But every game there would be some old guy complaining to the ushers about something we were doing. I might be the only one who thinks this way but isnt sh*t maybe stretching reaching PG-13 now a days its basically allowed on TV now, I am pretty sure Bart Simpson says it all the time . If thats really a word that people would complain about they need to get out a little more.

The largest problem I see with student season tickets is the most faithful fans were the ones that lined the Upper Bowl row 1 every single game. They would show up hours early to ensure they had those seats, those are the ones that should be getting season tickets, those were the ones that were first in line when we were told to leave as there would now be a lottery. Hopefully the new student president will have a better system worked out. My brother went to Michigan State, he didnt get basketball season tickets until his Junior year because they gave them out to Upper classman first, which makes perfect sense. Let the freshman and sophmores sit in GA and learn from the older students how you should behave and cheer. But I think Kupchella was right on one front, something does need to be done, but it should be done to please the students not the general public. He completely sold out the students in his letter, and I am pretty sure thats who he represents. Its like President Bush saying our troops arent patriotic.

[Diggler]

Forcing students to attend a meeting about cheers or anything else is a double standard if you don't require all season ticket holders.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is very true, but you know what? Life sucks and isn't fair. I'd much rather go to some meeting and be able to keep seats then to have seats taken away and even when I'm not a student (probably never ) I don't want students to be hosed out of good seats.

A meeting isn't going to hurt anyone and will be a one time thing for a first time season ticket holder. It will be run by fellow students and I would assume it isn't going to just be what you can't do. That will be maybe 5 minutes. The rest of the meeting will be what you can do. It'll be learning the school song and a bunch of cheers. Sure it'd be nice if we could get everything exactly the way we want it, but that isn't realistic. Instead of complaining, we should try to turn things into a positive.

Oh and the saying with age comes wisdom is true. Four years ago I never would have said any of the things I've said in this post, now though.

[Fedorov]

Life sucks and isn't fair. 

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Who knew? Why bother trying to teach students good techniques for cheering when they will just get upset when the general public does not join in? The general public does not want to learn cheers from students, and the students don't want to be the ones that have to teach them.

[The Sicatoka]

You guys have almost defined a "modified lottery" system here:

- you have to show up to a "course" or session to learn what is expected behavior (when standing is appropriate, "no cursing", school songs, etc.), and the course is scheduled for a Saturday night, just like a hockey game

- at the end of this course you sign your name to get the application for lower bowl season tickets (the uppers stay as GAs for the students that choose not to take this approach)

- you fill out the application and have a week to turn it back in (none accepted that day because not taking it then filters out more of the "for show" crowd; the die-hards will return it)

The application:

- Standard UND info (name, NAID, etc.)

- Did you have seats last year? Where?

- Are you on track to graduate? (sophomores have 30+ credits, juniors have 60+ credits, seniors have 90+ credits, and so forth)

- Your requested seat location in the lower (no guarantees).

Say two sophomores are "tied" for the last lower seat: Use the door scanners records to see who went to more games as a freshman.

All the information is there. Use it.

[Diggler]

Screw the general public then. If students stop swearing, they will no longer be able to be blamed for things. Or at least reasonably be blamed for things.

[airmail]

The students were told they would get four sections on the lower level.

[The Sicatoka]

Let's be honest:

Although on most nights 108 and 109 are as full as the season ticket sections, the students don't fill 307-310 regularly.

Four in the lower for the students would show empty seats on television unless that's all the students had (four sections).

[Wreckincrew]

Since I only make it to GF for 4-6 games a year I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I will give my two cents anyway. I usually sit in one of my friend

[jloos]

Let's be honest:

Although on most nights 108 and 109 are as full as the season ticket sections, the students don't fill 307-310 regularly.

Four in the lower for the students would show empty seats on television unless that's all the students had (four sections).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am probably in the minority, but two seasons ago I had lower seats and missed two games - both of which I gave my tickets to people that used them. Last year I went to one game in the upper GA - I will not get into that experience again but needless to say my wife refused to do that again, frankly I decided I would rather watch the games on tv. Luckily I know a lot of people that had extra tickets here and there so I made it to about 1/2 of the home games. My point, if I had my 108 tickets again I would have gone to every game. The fans in 107 were great - nothing like the major a-holes in 30?(whatever is next to the students in the corner the Sioux score twice).

Personally I'm done at UND this year, so I don't have an interest in how they do things next year. However as a fan of Sioux hockey I want a good student section so I hope they get things worked out.

From what I've experienced the way they distribute tickets was left up to the student gov't - leaving a job to any gov't entity ensures things will get FUBAR'd. The student gov't is no exception - the way they screwed things up this past season was so bad it was almost impressive. The lack of foresight was truly amazing. Let's make everyone line up a block away - then run, brilliant.

[Fedorov]

So.... it's tough poop for us because those seats were supposed to be yours? 

FWIW:  I'll try ignoring the newest partner in my firm, because that partnership was supposed to be mine.  I'll call you from the soup kitchen...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is called showing some appreciation for what you have. The students have given up a lot more than the general public has. Yet all I see talked about is the horrible student entitlement problem.