OPINION & EDITORIAL
Ticketing ticket-holders
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by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Thursday, September 30, 2004
The University of Wisconsin prides itself on many things. Academics, research and state-of-the-art facilities are all sources of pride for the UW community. Nothing, however, seems to get the UW community more passionate than Badger athletics. Fall Saturdays in Madison belong to football. Basketball and hockey games are of equal importance in the winter months. At the core of this fanaticism are the students, who make great sacrifices in supporting their Badgers.
Ticket distribution has long been an indication of just how devoted Badger fans can be. Waiting in line for days on end, students jockey for position in line to get the best seats on game day. To accommodate their long stays in line, some students bring pillows, blankets and sleeping bags to stay warm and comfortable while waiting for their exchange date at the Kohl Center.
Recently, with students waiting to turn in football and hockey vouchers, the area in front of Kohl Center has been more crowded than usual. With this multitude has come strict enforcement of a new UW Athletics code of conduct that prohibits certain materials — such as blankets and sleeping bags — for students waiting in line. Under these codes, students may only bring a folding chair to accommodate their wait.
On Monday night, with students waiting in line overnight, the University of Wisconsin Police Department cited 24 students with $181 tickets for camping on university property while waiting in line for hockey tickets. Many were ticketed for having blankets — and in at least one case, a student was ticketed for sleeping on top of a blanket to prevent getting wet from the ground.
We can understand the UWPD enforcing rules for the safety of these fans, but preventing them from using blankets, pillows and sleeping bags is absurd. These materials only make a student’s stay in line more comfortable — and we’re not talking about luxury items. As the weather gets colder, it is going to be of absolute necessity that students have amenities to protect themselves from the elements while waiting in line.
The university needs to reevaluate its newly established code of conduct. If they continue to strictly enforce these rules, they will be disenfranchising the core of Badger supporters at UW — something that certainly should not be allowed.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 7:36am):
The way I see it, comfortably sleeping students are not misbehaving students. This is my fourth year holding hockey tickets, and I'm still impressed by the respect students in the ticket line have for the game, for the Kohl Center, and for each other. Embrace the students' enthusiasm for the game, like Duke does with their ticket holders. Continue citing them for showing that enthusiasm, and you'll quickly lose the best fans out there.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 8:40am):
Whine, whine, whine! We all knew the rules. Rules that were set up becuase things have gotten out of hand. There was no way NOT to know the rule. The police gave us warnings and some people thought they could still get away with something. Sucks to be you if you got a ticket. You get no sympathy from me. If it's too cold then don't be out there; the playing field is level. Can't wait to see the frenzy when it's time for hoops distribution. Hopefully there will be monsoons followed by a blizzard.
