Letter to the Editor: Double standard exists when seating Spectrum

Editor,

I have been attending basketball games regularly in the Spectrum for the last three years and every week I see the same irregularity in policy. Sitting down in the student section surrounded by rowdy, loud, and semi-crazy students I find non-student ticket holders. Not only are the non-student ticket holders sitting the seats reserved for students, they complain about us standing up. Sometimes I find grandparents taking their grandkids down into the student section and I’m sure that I’m not the only one who’s been kicked by a bored four year old swinging his legs while watching the game.

This is a blatant double standard. If a student were to attempt to sit in the regular season ticket holder section, (as I’m sure many have done), one of the orange t-shirt wearing event staff would sop you and ask to see your ticket. Even early in the season when the non-student seats aren’t filled, students aren’t allowed to sit in them. Yet there is no one asking to se student ID’s in order to sit the student section.

Not only does the student section provide most of the noise and attitude that has given the Spectrum the “hostile” atmosphere label that visiting teams can attest to, but students pay an activity fee very semester allowing us to attend games. That fee should buy us the right of sitting in our section just like any other paying ticket holder. Not only should the rights of the student be protected like any other ticket holder, but it wouldn’t be that difficult. No one needs to swipe cards – it’s already been done. Just have someone standing at the top of the stairs in the student sections asking to see activity cards.

Adam Van Tassell