Hockey Seating Calls for Ticket Lines, No Rotation

After less than half an hour of discussion, the Student Senate voted last Thursday to re-approve last year's "line-up" plan for the sale of hockey tickets. Season tickets, higher-priced than last year's, will go on sale October 14. There will be no rotation of seats.

According to the plan submitted by Grand Marshal Mike Stull, the student season hockey tickets will be sold in the Mug Room of the Student Union commencing at 8 a.m., October 14. Each person will be able to hold four identification cards and each ID card can buy up to two student tickets or one student and one date ticket.

Both the North and West Grandstands will be open for season tickets. Seats remaining after these tickets are sold will be available on a single-game basis. Season tickets are not sold at a discount rate. Student tickets are $1.00 per game or $12.00 for a season ticket. Date tickets are $2.00 each.

The Executive Board was expected to vote on the plan last Tuesday. E-Board approval is needed before the system is put into operation. President of the Union Steve Walker expects approval from the E-Board but notes that, if the plan is rejected, the E-Board will draw up an alternative proposal to submit to the Senate.

Years ago, Rensselaer hockey seating was on a "rotation" basis, whereby students were divided into large groups. Each group was seated at different positions in the Fieldhouse at different games. Reach explained that the "major problem of rotation was that eventually you have people sitting in bad seats when good seats are available."

Last year, departure from the rotation system of hockey seating created great controversy on campus, culminating in a system much like the one which the Senate approved Thursday. This year the decision was made with a minimum of discussion. Walker feels the difference was that "there was not that much debating since (they're) working under the same plan as last year ." Moreover "last year no one knew who was charge but this year the procedure for setting up a system is known. "

Walker, who was opposed to this hockey seating plan last year, now feels that it is the "only fair method besides a lottery." He noted that it allows someone "really psyched about hockey to get there first and get a good seat." Bob Reach, Chairman of the Athletic Board, also supported the system, noting that there are "no great advantages to rotation."

Ross Gingrich, former Grand Marshal, contends that "last year's system discriminated against the individual as opposed to a large group," since groups are better organized and have more manpower for waiting on line. ''I would like to see some form of rotation, especially for the freshmen,'' he said.

Reach noted that the line, which usually forms well before hockey tickets go on sale, is an "unfortunate necessity." The main advantage to having eight tickets per person is that it keeps down the size of the line, he explained.

Also reviewed Thursday night at the meeting was a resolution passed at the end of last year which fixes the price of all hockey tickets at $3.50 one hour before the start of the game. This was done to reportedly speedup the line that forms while 20 minutes of the first period goes by.