Members attack ticket system
By FINN PRESSLY
Last week's ticket distribution system drew heavy criticism from dorm representatives at Wednesday night's Student Senate meeting.
"The paper made it seem not that good," student body vice president Michael Palumbo said about The Observer's Aug. 25's report on the new system.
He then opened the floor to comments from senators, many of whom voiced negative opinions.
"I thought it was a disaster," Farley senator Christine Veliky said. "Anyone I knew was like, `Let's go get our tickets and leave.' I don't know of anyone who stayed there more than half an hour. It seemed like a waste of time for the people who planned it."
Pasquerilla West senator Audra Hagan expressed concern for the first-year students who didn't have the benefit of past experience with the system.
"The freshmen in my dorm were scared to death," Hagan said. "They were like, `I have to go through all of this to get tickets?'"
The seating system in Notre Dame Stadium drew criticism, as well.
"Why are the grad students in the middle of all the students?" Walsh senator Kate McCarthy asked. "They don't have the same young, enthusiastic attitude."
Graduate students originally sat in the lower corner of the student section. They requested a change in position, however, because they were often the unwitting recipients of halftime mementos sailing from the senior section, according to Joe Cassidy, director of Student Activities.
Knott senator Ed Foy showed his support for the distribution system.
"I liked how it worked," Foy said. "It was better than having to wake up at four in the morning and take a headfirst dive at two closed doors and stand there for four hours."
Palumbo added that in addition to the early morning "mad dash," problems with alcohol abuse led to a change in the system.
"The drinking got out of hand," he said. "This year, we were able to control the situation."
An informal survey of the senate conducted by Cassidy showed that, given a choice, students would prefer a form of stadium camping out to receiving assigned tickets in the mail. If students were to receive tickets by mail, however, the majority of them would prefer general admission tickets by section, rather than assigned seats.
The senators showed the most support for the idea of camping out for general admission tickets.
Student body president Micah Murphy stressed that the system would undergo a year of scrutiny before returning in the fall.
ÒIt was a first-year shot. WeÕre learning as we go,Ó he said. ÒItÕs going to be reviewed over the year.Ó
In other Senate news:
¥ The Senate passed a resolution commending the University for the construction completed over the summer, specifically the renovation of the Main Building.
All News Stories for Thursday, September 2, 1999
