For 24 University of Wisconsin students, their “camping” experience at the Kohl Center came to a lucky end Oct. 29.
The students charged Sept. 28 with $181 in camping citations while waiting in the line for men’s hockey tickets had their fines reduced to only eight hours of community service during their arraignment last Friday.
The students were ticketed because they violated a new UW Athletics code of conduct that prohibits having certain materials while in line. The prohibited items now include tents, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, kerosene lamps, couches, tables, non-folding chairs, television sets, non-portable CD players and gaming equipment.
According to the UW Athletics website, “[Students] may only bring a folding chair with [them] to wait in line per University policy.”
According to Alan Paberzs, a first-year graduate student who received a camping ticket, the judge handling the case was fair and considerate during the arraignment. The judge landed on a compromise of eight hours of community service at the Hospitality Home shelter on the Capital Square, according to Paberzs.
“I had prepared my individual case if we had to fight it. We had definitions of camping and blankets and from two different dictionaries and in my case I had been laying on the blanket, not wrapped in it,” Paberzs said.
Paberzs, who is the director for the Badger Student Fan Club, said his citation did not put a damper on his UW sports experience.
“I wouldn’t let something like this ruin what has been a glorious career with UW athletics for me,” Paberzs said.
UW sophomore and second-year men’s-hockey-ticket-holder Mike Westling said the university is not handling the ticket situation correctly. The changing rules for standing in line do not send a clear message to students determined to get season tickets at all costs, he added.
“[UW] is not running the system well. There has to be a better way for the ticket office, the athletic department and the police to allow students to get tickets,” Westling said.
Westling, who did not receive a citation, said he is frustrated with the entire system since his group of ticket holders spent more than a week in line without blankets.
Internal problems with the basketball lottery system are also troublesome for Westling because like the hockey-ticket situation, dedicated fans take their season-ticket holdings seriously.
Paberzs agreed the university has a tough situation on its hands.
“Now with the increased interest in both men’s basketball and hockey, the athletic department needs to get stuff straightened out and straightened out fast,” Paberzs said. “It only gets worse before it gets better.”
Westling questioned the ability of UW Athletics and police to stop students from waiting in line. The intent of the new rules was to discourage students from waiting in line for an extended period of time because of the detrimental effect on students’ health and grade performances.
But Westling said the no-blanket rule isn’t stopping anyone.
“College kids are crazy; they’re going to do anything for basketball and hockey tickets, including sleeping in the freezing cold without blankets and skipping class,” Westling said. “They have to change the system because it isn’t fair.”
