The Dakota Student gets it exactly right

[frnkdrcmn]

Move students behind opposing net, increase student tickets to 9% of total to match student $$, REA staff do their part to help atmosphere (ideas inside article), sell student tickets Monday at noon...first come first serve.

All great ideas that I hope are considered seriously.

http://www.thedakotastudent.com/vnews/disp...3/43d576530e4d7

by Dane Dekrey

January 23, 2006

Now that students are aware of the so-called "flat-ass rules" that will be enforced at the Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), and now that students are familiar with the dictatorial style of diplomacy implemented by the Athletic Department, it is right time for a response. After all, in this whole shuffle, I think some may have forgotten that the topic of dispute is, in fact, the student section.

Thus, in the same "don't ask, just follow" mentality of Mr. Buning, I give you the list of grievances that, if not addressed and remedied, will be detrimental to the entire college hockey experience at the REA. My list is as follows:

1. Relocation:

To combat the first of Buning's "flat-ass rules" - which is there shall be no standing while the puck is in play - it is time for the relocation of the student section.

My recommendation is that we move behind the opposing team's goal. This way, students can stand and cheer without interruption, the entire ice can be seen by all students and such a location has the potential to create hell for opposing goalies. If it comes down to a choice between penalty box heckling or full-game standing, the choice is obvious - standing.

2. Proportionality:

With a new seating location comes the need for a more proportional seating arrangement at the REA than the 545 lower bowl seats students currently have. Student fees allot $900,000 to the Athletic Department every year, or 9 percent of its total budget.

So if the REA wishes for students to pay full price for a season ticket that's fine, but then it is only fair for the Athletic Department to no longer receive their cushy student fee. And if such a fee is 9 percent of the total budget, then 9 percent of students should have the opportunity to sit in the lower bowl at the REA.

Right now, we are hovering around 5 percent. Nine percent is 965 students, or 420 more seats than currently available.

3. Distribution:

It seems every year the proverbial thorn in the side of student government has been devising a fair, rational process of ticket distribution. Preliminary student government talks include the creation of a new online system where, from my understanding, students log on each week and attempt to purchase tickets. Stupid.

That not only negates the idea of fan loyalty, but it also puts precious lower bowl tickets in the hands of technology. My recommendation: Sell student tickets the first day of class at 12 p.m.

This satisfies all parties involved. Students wanting tickets must come the week before classes start to stand in line, thus appeasing the complaint that the old distribution process of standing in line reduced class attendance.

Students are happy because then true fans get lower bowl tickets and also because then students must only stand in line once, not every Friday and Saturday.

While it isn't the most fun, an old-fashioned "stand in line if you want tickets" program is the most fair.

Other suggestions

The irony of Buning's final "flat-ass rule" - no drunk and disorderly conduct by students - is saturating. The REA sells alcohol, and people become intoxicated when drinking alcohol. Do the math; if they really want to fight the war on intoxication, then ban the consumption of alcohol in the REA.

As for making the REA more of a home ice advantage - for currently we are basically playing on neutral ice - how about some effort from the REA staff? Remember, a little bit goes a long way.

Spice up the place; when resurfacing the ice, play "I Wanna Drive the Zamboni" by the Gear Daddies. When reviewing a goal, and the red light in the scorer's box comes on, play "Roxanne" by the Police.

Little things like this. When an opposing player gets ejected, play "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles. Students thrive off the REA, and vice versa. It should be a joint effort, not a fight against.

If these demands aren't met, then students should either boycott, or sit in silence protest. Martin Luther King Day was only a week ago, embrace his philosophy, non-violent disobedience is the only way to make the student voice heard.

At our next home series, if these grievances have not been addressed and met, we sit the entire game, and remain absolutely quiet. Then we'll see how much the REA needs us.

So Mr. Buning, REA, here is your chance. You told students at our "mandatory" meeting that 95 percent of enrollment at UND is promoted through word-of-mouth. Well what kind of words do you think will be coming out of our mouths if you ruin student seating at the REA? I think they might clash with "flat-ass rule" number two.

[Fedorov]

I don't agree with selling tickets every week, especially if you are going to raise the price. If you are going to pay more, you should be able to have your seat reserved for every game. The idea of buying weekly also doesn't work if you have class. That is why students are at UND, right?

[BringDeanBack]

Move students behind opposing net, increase student tickets to 9% of total to match student $$, REA staff do their part to help atmosphere (ideas inside article), sell student tickets Monday at noon...first come first serve.

All great ideas that I hope are considered seriously.

http://www.thedakotastudent.com/vnews/disp...3/43d576530e4d7

by Dane Dekrey

January 23, 2006

Now that students are aware of the so-called "flat-ass rules" that will be enforced at the Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), and now that students are familiar with the dictatorial style of diplomacy implemented by the Athletic Department, it is right time for a response. After all, in this whole shuffle, I think some may have forgotten that the topic of dispute is, in fact, the student section.

Thus, in the same "don't ask, just follow" mentality of Mr. Buning, I give you the list of grievances that, if not addressed and remedied, will be detrimental to the entire college hockey experience at the REA. My list is as follows:

1. Relocation:

To combat the first of Buning's "flat-ass rules" - which is there shall be no standing while the puck is in play - it is time for the relocation of the student section.

My recommendation is that we move behind the opposing team's goal. This way, students can stand and cheer without interruption, the entire ice can be seen by all students and such a location has the potential to create hell for opposing goalies. If it comes down to a choice between penalty box heckling or full-game standing, the choice is obvious - standing.

2. Proportionality:

With a new seating location comes the need for a more proportional seating arrangement at the REA than the 545 lower bowl seats students currently have. Student fees allot $900,000 to the Athletic Department every year, or 9 percent of its total budget.

So if the REA wishes for students to pay full price for a season ticket that's fine, but then it is only fair for the Athletic Department to no longer receive their cushy student fee. And if such a fee is 9 percent of the total budget, then 9 percent of students should have the opportunity to sit in the lower bowl at the REA.

Right now, we are hovering around 5 percent. Nine percent is 965 students, or 420 more seats than currently available.

3. Distribution:

It seems every year the proverbial thorn in the side of student government has been devising a fair, rational process of ticket distribution. Preliminary student government talks include the creation of a new online system where, from my understanding, students log on each week and attempt to purchase tickets. Stupid.

That not only negates the idea of fan loyalty, but it also puts precious lower bowl tickets in the hands of technology. My recommendation: Sell student tickets the first day of class at 12 p.m.

This satisfies all parties involved. Students wanting tickets must come the week before classes start to stand in line, thus appeasing the complaint that the old distribution process of standing in line reduced class attendance.

Students are happy because then true fans get lower bowl tickets and also because then students must only stand in line once, not every Friday and Saturday.

While it isn't the most fun, an old-fashioned "stand in line if you want tickets" program is the most fair.

Other suggestions

The irony of Buning's final "flat-ass rule" - no drunk and disorderly conduct by students - is saturating. The REA sells alcohol, and people become intoxicated when drinking alcohol. Do the math; if they really want to fight the war on intoxication, then ban the consumption of alcohol in the REA.

As for making the REA more of a home ice advantage - for currently we are basically playing on neutral ice - how about some effort from the REA staff? Remember, a little bit goes a long way.

Spice up the place; when resurfacing the ice, play "I Wanna Drive the Zamboni" by the Gear Daddies. When reviewing a goal, and the red light in the scorer's box comes on, play "Roxanne" by the Police.

Little things like this. When an opposing player gets ejected, play "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles. Students thrive off the REA, and vice versa. It should be a joint effort, not a fight against.

If these demands aren't met, then students should either boycott, or sit in silence protest. Martin Luther King Day was only a week ago, embrace his philosophy, non-violent disobedience is the only way to make the student voice heard.

At our next home series, if these grievances have not been addressed and met, we sit the entire game, and remain absolutely quiet. Then we'll see how much the REA needs us.

So Mr. Buning, REA, here is your chance. You told students at our "mandatory" meeting that 95 percent of enrollment at UND is promoted through word-of-mouth. Well what kind of words do you think will be coming out of our mouths if you ruin student seating at the REA? I think they might clash with "flat-ass rule" number two.

Or students could take it easy on the swearing and only stand when there is a big hit or goal. That would be much easier and fair than rewarding bad behavior of students with more and better seats.

[Csonked Out]

This is the solution a lot of students have been sayin for awhile. Right now the Ralph and the town of Grand Forks all put the students on a lower pedastol than everyone else, which was proven with the new zoning ordinance. Moving students to the end and givin us more seats would allow us to stand behind the apposing goalie the whole game because we would not be in anyones way anymore. Yes, selling tickets before every game as general admission does work, they did it 3 years ago when i was a freshman and it worked great. As long as it stays this way the ralph will continue to push away hockey fans like me, because they have made it perfectly clear that "us" students dont matter in the ralph or the town, we're just "dumb" college students who dont know what we're doing, or at least that's the message most of this town is tryin to say. No, this has nothing to do with the logo as i love it, and i have also gotten a great education at UND and would come again, but it really is appauling when this stuff continually happens. Here are a few reasons to support my claims.

1) 2 years ago grand forks didn't want students to participate in city elections because we weren't residents apparently, even though we pay rent, taxes, etc.. for everything

2) Builds alumni housing on bronson property instead of student housing which is needed already

3) not allowed to turn single-family houses into rental properties, which means for students its now apartments or dorms, which will probably raise the price of apartments even higher since demand will now surely increase.

4) Not to stand, or cheer to loud at games (yes i have gotten complained about and yelled at for actually cheering to loud)

I have been a die-hard hockey fan of the sioux all my life, which was proven my first two years here by never missing a game, and camping outside for almost a week for season tickets. But after the way the ralph and town have treated me, i no longer even go to hockey games really, after all why go if we're not wanted?

[The Sicatoka]

Uh, bad-math alert.

" ... then 9 percent of students should have the opportunity to sit in the lower bowl at the REA."

Uh, no, 9% of the budget does not mean 9% of the student body.

9% of the budget should mean 9% of the seats!. (Seats are what "costs" the budget pays for.)

9% of 11406 means roughly 1027. Half up, half down would be 514 down, 513 up.

Uh, the students have 2200 seats right now, with 545 of them down.

They're ahead in the lower bowl game if they want to play "9%".

Pssssstt --- students, don't play that card. It's a loser.

[The Sicatoka]

To quote the great and wise Ron White, "drunk in pub-lic" is a crime.

[dagies]

I think this guy's got some good suggestions about songs to play and the timing of them, etc. I don't agree with the idea that if you sell beer = drunk and disorderly students. This guy's tone is confrontational, not helpful. I read here about a student who had a sign saying something like "Mr. Buning, I'm drunk but not disorderly" and reportedly Buning came over and shook the kid's hand. Looks like there's room here for common ground if people don't get their panties in a bunch right away.

[fightonsioux]

Well this flat-ass doesn't quite back the students anymore after the signs I saw this past weekend. And I can guarantee the students I will fight tooth and nail to keep my seat behind the opposing net. That is where the Sioux shoot twice and that's why I pay the big bucks (which does not include tuitition) to sit there. I stand when standing is necessary, a goal, a great play, a great save and a great fight.

[Sioux-cia]

1) Less than 10% of the student season tickets holders attended the "MANDATORY" meeting. That is a pretty unimpressive number for 'die hard Fighting Sioux hockey fans'.

2) I agree with dagies. The tone of this open letter is very confrontational. There are very good ideas but the manner in which they are presented may tend to turn a person off.

3) The no 'drunk or disorderly' recommendation to ban the consumption of alcohol at the Ralph is as mature as the editors comment last week. They agree that profanity should not be allowed but were upset that alternatives to profanity were not offered. DUH!! Since when does anyone need to be educated as to what is an alternative to profanity. Are they two year olds?

4) Proportionality equals student fees. What Sicatoka said, 'Don't go there.' If that's the math you want to us, you'll lose almost 50% of your currently allotted seating.

5) Relocation, I have a real problem with that as well. Why reward bad behavior? I sit at the end where the opposing team shoots twice. There are boxes behind us. The other end has the bar behind them. As far as I can tell, the only place to be able to stand and not obstruct anyone but another student's view is the upper deck.

6) A boycott or sit in? I think that you'll get as much cooperation there as Mr. Buning's mandatory meeting received. But, hey, go for it. I don't believe that it will have a huge affect on the other 9000 hockey fans or the flow of the game.

7) As a student, I stood in line outside for hours to get hockey tickets for the upcoming week end series. That type of distribution of tickets certainly separates the wheat from the chaff.

8) I love the music recommendations. Why weren't they brought up at the meeting?

9) If you don't go to the games because you don't like rules, don't call yourself a die hard hockey fan. It just doesn't fly.

[airmail]

But after the way the ralph and town have treated me, i no longer even go to hockey games really, after all why go if we're not wanted?

So much for being a die-hard Sioux hockey fan.

Good Lord.

[THETRIOUXPER]

So much for being a die-hard Sioux hockey fan.

Good Lord.

Yeah that is a real sad statement. Let me translate this. "I cant be, drunk, stupid, obnoxious, disorderly, and disrespectful to others around me, in public, therefore I don't want to be part of going to a game". You know what fightingbooya, I don't think anyone misses you at the games, sit at home and feel sorry for yourself.

[Fetch]

& the 1000 or so folks that have had those seats (on the end where the Sioux are on offense twice) are just suppose to give them up & take center ice seats - Many have had those seats for generations & once your used to seeing the game from a certain angle & location in the rink - No other seat is as good

(Hate to tell ya center ice seats are not like being on the 50 yard line at a football game)

I even go to my area for HS Games - Many ask why with all the open seats - I don't even like the lower bowl seats - (They are smaller you know)

I still say again ! Take out the Bar on that end & construct a Standing Bleacher section - Both Bars are way over rated & too expensive & a waste of space

& put a Lienies Kiosk that sells Creamy Dark on that end in the upper level

Or reconstruct the the area they are in now & take out the 3 or 4 private boxes & make that area more regular seating - Sure it will cost the Ralph some Bucks - But it would affect a lot less people - I wonder how many more seats it would add to convert that space to regular seating ? - Maybe then convert the Bars to private boxes ?

[teamsioux]

Question? are the upper deck students being told to sit too, especially being on the two corner sections alot of adults buy ga tickets?

[Diggler]

Question? are the upper deck students being told to sit too, especially being on the two corner sections alot of adults buy ga tickets?

Nope.

[Cameron]

My problem with the whole situation is the students are supposed to come first! People can cry about percentages of seats the students are or aren't getting in the new REA, but no matter how you look at it the students are getting nowhere near the percentage of seats as the old REA. In the old ralph it was nearly 50%!!!

In addition, the student behavior was not an issue because they had nearly half of the old arena and were really only bothering each other (if it even was a problem).

IMO, residents should be happy they even have season tickets.

The Ralph was a gift to UND Hockey, which is made up of:

1. Hockey players

2. Students

3. Faculty

4. Alumni

5. Everyone else

[Fetch]

http://www.theralph.com/new2/Arena_Info_Se...phEngelstad.htm

http://siouxsports.com/hockey/arena.htm

It is my desire to share my good fortune with the UND hockey team.

[THETRIOUXPER]

Then I guess the students should get their checkbooks out and buy all of the seats current season ticket holders have at the same prices and fill up the arena. That way you can have your arena full of drunk eh-es-es holes, and know one to tell you to sit down and shut up. Oh yeah, wait, most students can't afford that kind of cash going to school full time, hell I can barely afford my nosebleed seats. See without the support of the community the whole thing is a bust. We are all aware what it costs to fund the athletic programs at the University, having the financial backing of alumni, and the community is essential. Money makes the world go around, my friends. Unfortunately for you poor victimized students your feelings are further down the list then you realize, sorry to tell you that.

[THETRIOUXPER]

One other thing while I'm at. I honestly believe that Ralph's intentions were for EVERYONE to enjoy their experience at a hockey game, it never ceases to amaze me the amount bickering that has gone on since REA opened it's doors. Poor Ralph must be rolling over in his grave, how dissapointed he would be in all of us ?

[The Sicatoka]

... but no matter how you look at it the students are getting nowhere near the percentage of seats as the old REA. In the old ralph it was nearly 50%!!!

We have another math problem here.

You want 50% of new REA? That's a mere 5703 seats.

The students aren't filling the 2200 they have today.

Proof? REA/UND are able to sell general admission tickets to the public because the students haven't picked the (free) tickets up.

[Diggler]

Proof? REA/UND are able to sell general admission tickets to the public because the students haven't picked the (free) tickets up.

Free tickets? There are these "free tickets"? Where do I go to pick them up? Probably some dungeon or something. Sounds to me like the ploy on The Simpsons where Homer got assigned to guarding the bee so he wouldn't screw up the Plant's safety check.

[Blackheart]

We have another math problem here.

You want 50% of new REA? That's a mere 5703 seats.

The students aren't filling the 2200 they have today.

Proof? REA/UND are able to sell general admission tickets to the public because the students haven't picked the (free) tickets up.

...because they're not in the lower bowl?

[The Sicatoka]

"IMO, residents should be happy they even have season tickets."

Students should be happy "residents" pay state taxes because those are a bigger fraction of UND's operational budget than tuition and fees.

Now that that's out of the way ....

Please lose the confrontational mindset. It doesn't serve either side well.

[The Sicatoka]

Free tickets? There are free tickets? Where do I go to pick them up?

For students. In the upper. (Forgive me if $3 is "free" in my world.)

[The Sicatoka]

...because they're not in the lower bowl?

Can I buy season tickets in the lower bowl for $75 a year?

That's a pretty sweet deal this alumnus can't get, but the students can.

[Cameron]

Then I guess the students should get their checkbooks out and buy all of the seats current season ticket holders have at the same prices and fill up the arena. That way you can have your arena full of drunk eh-es-es holes, and know one to tell you to sit down and shut up. Oh yeah, wait, most students can't afford that kind of cash going to school full time, hell I can barely afford my nosebleed seats. See without the support of the community the whole thing is a bust. We are all aware what it costs to fund the athletic programs at the University, having the financial backing of alumni, and the community is essential. Money makes the world go around, my friends. Unfortunately for you poor victimized students your feelings are further down the list then you realize, sorry to tell you that.

First off, don't ever refer to me as a drunk "eh-es-es holes" especially when I hold both bachelor and Masters degrees from UND (obviously-no longer a student). And don't call the current students that either. They are the same kids giving you a job and a place to live. Grand Forks would NOT be there without UND!!!

Just curious what it costs to run the new FREE arena with beer gardens and every seat having some kind of monetary contribution vs. the old ralph which was still being paid for while roughly 2,500 seats were free to the students. The same students that raised hell for opposing teams. You obviously know the financials-maybe you can give us all a run down between the two arenas?...

By the way, if you want to sell your season tickets. let me know...I'll take them off your hands and maybe even buy a few 21 year old students a beer while I emabrace the fact that they are 'oh my God-having fun'

Sorry to tell you that