Ticket Procedure Posted

The hockey ticket procedure is posted online.

It still includes a waste-of-time night in the the Ramin room, and an attempt to boost attendance at an otherwise anemically attended Cornell sporting event.

A half-hearted attempt. You don't have to go to the game.

On the other hand, it has a genuine attempt to boost sales of the Big Red Sports Pass.

It's basically the same system as last year, And, between offering the $45 sports-pass-and-MSG-ticket combo last spring and the 200 reserved seats this year, Sports Pass sales should go up.

Bring back the real line...

Again the line is the end and not the means. But I'm sure all the Long Islanders will think they look cool in their "I did my time in the line" t-shirts.

Any reason to believe there's a time that's better to sign up in than others? I vaguely remember them screwing that up as well last year.

Fake camp-outs are lame.

yes they are, and I think most students (atleast the ones that go to games) would much rather have the camping take place outside on an organicly formed line. However, the situation being as it is, I will admit that I enjoy the night in Bartels. It's a bit lame, but that doesn't meen it's not fun.

BMac
Any reason to believe there's a time that's better to sign up in than others? I vaguely remember them screwing that up as well last year.

I was starting to think about this. If they choose the #s the same way as last year...

0 and 1 had an equal chance of being chosen as the first digit. Since the #s only went up to ~1700, each of the 1000+ #s had a better chance of being the starting number.

This doesn't really help determine an ideal line number. I'll be more concerned with figuring out a time to get numbers with the people with whom I want to stand.

If they're going to waste everyone's time with a fake line, they should at least incorporate some sort of community service element or something. At least there would be something to show from the pointless waiting besides a nasty ramin room.I suppose that would be asking too much of both those in line and those running the line.

Chris '03
If they're going to waste everyone's time with a fake line, they should at least incorporate some sort of community service element or something.

Making license plates?

French Rage
But I'm sure all the Long Islanders will think they look cool in their "I did my time in the line" t-shirts.

I don't know which I prefer: Long Islanders who think they look cool in their "I did my time in the line" shirts, or Long Islanders who think they look cool in their new London Knights jersey

To elaborate on Chris '03s statement above, what if the procedure for getting season tickets included a community service aspect? What if the students who wanted guaranteed tickets had to perform an 8-hour day of service to a local organization?

I realize it'd take some serious organization, but local organizations like homeless shelters, soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity, and many others would be happy to utilize the captive labor. I'd also be willing to bet that one of the community service organizations on campus would step up and organize it all.

I envision it like this: Students sign up for the line numbers, fully understanding that if they win a position in "line", then they have to do a days community service work. The weekend of seat selection, students with line numbers arrive at 9:00am on Saturday morning to do their day of work. There is a "line check" at 9:00 to determine that everyone is there. The students leave for their day of work, going to various locations for the day (assume, for this argument at least, that there are pre-arranged places for people to go... like #s 1-25 go there, 25-45 go there, etc....). After a day of work, everyone comes back to campus for a 7pm line check, at which point they begin doing seat selection. The catch is that in order to be eligible to buy tickets, the students must have both their line number form AND a signed form from the leader of their service group.

I realize that you'd have to work out some kinks in there. For example, what do you do about kids who are unavailable to do their day of service due to respectable commitments (which is solved by the 4-spots-per-person thing now)? What if you let students do their service on one of a few Saturdays, but still required that they bring both forms to get their tickets (or gave both forms to their proxy in line)?

In principle, would that be something that you (the Faithful) would support? I'm honestly interested in your thoughts. I personally think it'd be a pretty good system, as it would provide some genuine disincentive for the casual fan (aka facetimers) to get tickets because, "Oh, well, they're not that hard to get, and maybe I'll show up late to a few games this year...." On the flip side, actual fans wouldn't hesitate at satisfying this requirement if that's what it took to get tickets. Oh, and we could do some good in the community... which is nice.

What do you think?

I'm no longer a student so this would never affect me. But I absolutely hate the idea of forced community service. If people want to volunteer their time to help others then that's great. Let's encourage it. Advertise at the line. But making it a requirement misses the whole point, IMNSHO. Then it's just slave labor.

I do appreciate that you're trying to be creative about the line, provide incentives (disincentives) and help others. I just don't like this idea.

(For the record: I've done plenty of volunteer tutoring through the years. I'm not against service. I just like it to be a voluntary thing.)

While I think that's a great idea, I think the athletic office would worry that it might discourage season ticket sales, thereby reducing its guaranteed income. Their bottom line is grounded in facetimers. I'm almost positive season tickets did not sell out last year, too.

It also would require far more logistical planning than the office is willing to put in. Seeing as the current line is basically an ad hoc quick fix, I highly doubt anyone there would volunteer to plan an event of that magnitude.

On the other hand, if they brought an activity to Bartels and anyone who wanted to volunteer could, I think the faithful would participate out of sheer boredom. For example, card making for the elderly or something.

KeithK
I'm no longer a student so this would never affect me. But I absolutely hate the idea of forced community service. If people want to volunteer their time to help others then that's great. Let's encourage it. Advertise at the line. But making it a requirement misses the whole point, IMNSHO. Then it's just slave labor.

I guess if the point of the community service is to take a headcount of who's willing to perform it with no tangible incentives, then maybe such a project misses the point. If the point of community service is to, you know, help someone (and split infinitives)...then I would think coercion by the ticket office really wouldn't miss it at all. It would obviously increase the amount of work performed, and it's not like there's a shortage of it. Not long ago you wrote that a student who really made hockey a priority would be willing to get another job. I guess if the student really really makes hockey a priority, he or she will let the University pick the job.

I can see a million different ways for Cornell to screw it up, of course. Hell, they'd probably consider students stuffing envelopes with alumni mailings all night in the Ramin Room "service." Still, I'm all for a ticket system that gives incentives to those willing to do something for someone, instead of a system that gives incentives to those students with more money and fewer other obligations.

What charities are the hockey players supporting this year? The line would be a great opportunity for fans to meet the players, and for some charitible panhandling.

I respect the desire to help others. I just think it is wrong to force people to do unpaid service work. Also, one of the goals of such service requirements is often to try to instill a particular ethic in the participants. I think that coercion works against this goal.

Not long ago you wrote that a student who really made hockey a priority would be willing to get another job. I guess if the student really really makes hockey a priority, he or she will let the University pick the job.

Heh. If I were still a student and the University instituted a service requirement for season hockey tickets then I'd suck it up and do it. But I still wouldn't like it.

Sadly, through all this discussion, it would be easiest and make the most sense to just let people line up when they want to. I know that will never happen, but someone needs to chime in and say that at least once a week or so.

KeithK
I respect the desire to help others. I just think it is wrong to force people to do unpaid service work.

As somebody with connections to a few of the major users of volunteer labor in the Ithaca area (Loaves and Fishes, a soup kitchen, being a major one), I'll say that those organizations don't necessarily enjoy having "coerced volunteers" working for them. L+F typically has a few days with mobs of students fulfilling their community service requirements. Often, not always, many (not all) of the "volunteers" are sullen, surly, lazy, unwilling to do the "grubby" jobs and, in many ways, pull down the productivity of the normal, "volunteer volunteers". They are just there to clock a certain number of hours, and don't get into the spirit of giving (again, some to many, but not all).

I guess my point is that you could require people to clock time pretending to volunteer, but it may not really help the community in a big way.

So, I'm agreeing with KeithK that, all in all, the idea isn't great. I mean, I love the idea of getting Cornellians to give more of themselves to the community, but I don't think coercion (or bribery, or however you would qualify this system) is the way to do it.

Anyway, I'm a townie, with season tickets I've had for years, so the ticket procedure discussion really has nothing to do with me. (Besides my desire to see students in the stands, preferably before the puck drops).

CK

Already into the 500s as of early in the afternoon today. I seem to remember things were a little quieter until the last couple days last year.

Picked up number 588 at around 4:45 today. There was a pretty long line behind us.

I got number 766 and senior number 256 today at 12:45p.

French Rage
Sadly, through all this discussion, it would be easiest and make the most sense to just let people line up when they want to. I know that will never happen, but someone needs to chime in and say that at least once a week or so.

And somebody needs to second it. But the odds (and benefit) of it happening are exactly the same as the odds that Collegetown Bagels will be magically transformed back into Olivers.

ugarte
On the other hand, it has a genuine attempt to boost sales of the Big Red Sports Pass.

So, pardon me if this is information that everybody else already knows.

I, in my supreme foolishness, went and bought a Sports Pass from the website [sportspass.cornell.edu], thinking "Hey, fantastic deal. It'll pay for itself in volleyball and lacrosse alone, plus I can go to basketball, women's hockey, whatever." Now I was a little taken aback by the option to pay on my bursar bill (since I'm an employee, not a student), but it didn't say "students only" anywhere on the fricken webpage and it happily let me pay by credit card. Of course, as everybody but me probably knows (and I don't know how, but whatever), the Sports Pass is students only. There is, however, a Sports Passport [cornellbigred.com] which is available to all (with a reduced rate for kids and CU employees).

Poor kids at the ticket office...apparently they've been handling quite a few people who show up to collect their Sports Pass, only to be told that it is for students only. One would think they would, someplace on the webpage, state that it is for students only, especially since there is a nice big button for the Sports Pass off the CornellBigRed.com homepage which is presumably frequented by plenty of non-student fans.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting my $49 worth of non-hockey sports out of my pass this year (and, in a hockey note, I'm ecstatic that I finally managed to get all 4 of my season tickets together instead of 2 pairs separated by several rows and seats).

CK

CKinsland

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting my $49 worth of non-hockey sports out of my pass this year...

You mean "passport," right? Don't want to be confusing...

Anybody know where the line numbers ended today?

My friend picked up about #1600 for the undergrad line and about #450 for the senior line at 4pm today.

Hi Everybody,

I am a big fan of college hockey but have never been to Lynah. I have however heard alot of good things about the atmosphere at Lynah. As a result, I would really like to go to either the Friday November 2nd game against Princeton or the Saturday November 3rd game against Quinnipiac. I don't live in the area so any help on the best way to purchase 1 ticket for either of these games would be great appreciated.

Thanks
CollegeHockeyAddict

Get to Lynah before 6 PM and stand outside the doors for the box office. You can almost definitely find someone selling tickets there for face value. You should also try the box office because sometimes there will be tickets available. I have a friend who comes up for games often and has never not gotten in. Good luck and enjoy one of the best sports experiences known to man!

Why are the Long Islanders getting picked on?

(Not that I am one or anything...)

You could check with the Princeton or Quinnipiac athletic departments to see whether they have visitor tickets available.

Cornell sells a few single tickets on Friday of home weekends, tickets they hold till the last moment for players' families and other potential VIP's. [cornellbigred.com]

You can check the ticket exchange forum here on eLynah. [elf.elynah.com] It's a moderated forum, so allow a little extra time.

How about a skills challenge instead of the pointless camp out? I'd love to see the Long Island kids vying for tickets in a hardest shot or fastest skater competition

I think the more appropriate events would be:
taunting- creativity
taunting- endurance
taunting- volume
cheering- accuracy
cheering- tempo
showing up on time

I often sell a ticket on Friday night if possible - When my son can't make the game - He has serious karate sparring training on Friday nights so will miss most games on Friday. I get to Lynah about 6:20- 6:30 and stand outside by box office. Some games you can't give a ticket away last year!

Usually only ask 15$ on an 18.+ face value ticket (last year) - FWIW