Guest Editorial in Today's Sun

[mnagowski]

Jim's right, as I believe the Friedman Center was paid entirely though alumni gifts. So when it's your money, you can pay for whatever you want, even an underwater basket weaving course taught at the bottom of Cayuga Lake.

I do agree that the prices for students should not have gone up, and the 'townies' should have been 'taxed' instead. But I also think part of the reason the student ticket prices went up is because Athletics neglected to apply for SA byline funding three years ago, which ended a pretty generous subsidy to athletics. $100k or so a year, if I remember correctly.

And I think most agree that the current lottery system is atrocious.

Where I differ is with the attitude that Athletics needs to start 'treating' students better without proposing any sort of constructive framework for fixing the problem. The University by it's very nature is a very messy bureaucracy there aren't necessarily easy solutions to your problems, but I think you will find Athletics and Student Life generally receptive to your complaints if you present them in a cordial, cooperative manner. I already wrote on the blog about how a student organization could easily be set up to charter busses to the North Country (hell, coordinate something with the Ski Club), but you could also form an ad hoc working group to air your other concerns, and a couple of well thought emails and an online petition could do wonders for your/our cause.

[mnagowski]

Also, I will note that there are 1,769 $1,000 giving opportunities to name seats over at LynahRink.com

http://www.lynahrink.com/index.cfm/page/campaign/giftsize.htm

[amerks127]

We appreciate the constructive criticism.

You're right about what you say.  We were in a hurry to put this to print before the slope day paper (which no one reads) and in hindsight, our article could've been stronger with a mention about Schafer.

As for passing the cost on...we still don't know for sure if that's a primary cause in high ticket prices, but assuming it is, then you would hope that the revenue from added seats (over time) would pay for the cost of the renovation, and the rest could be covered by donations or the university, not just student hockey fans (and if it doesn't, then please remind me about the economic incentive for the renovation).

[Beeeej]

[quote mnagowski]Also, I will note that there are 1,769 $1,000 giving opportunities to name seats over at LynahRink.com

http://www.lynahrink.com/index.cfm/page/campaign/giftsize.htm[/quote]

I will also note, with disdain, that they have the numbering backwards, at least on section C (I didn't check the others).  Seat 1 in any given row in section C is on the section B side, or on the right if you're looking at the section from the ice, as the diagram appears to depict.  Yet the website has it on the left.  I hope hundreds of people haven't accidentally "bought" the wrong seats throughout the rink.

[jtwcornell91]

[quote mnagowski]I do agree that the prices for students should not have gone up, and the 'townies' should have been 'taxed' instead.[/quote]

The cost of non-student tickets has risen sharply as well.  It's now up to $18, $21 in section C.  In 2004-2005, it was $12.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote amerks127]We appreciate the constructive criticism.


As for passing the cost on...we still don't know for sure if that's a primary cause in high ticket prices, but assuming it is, then you would hope that the revenue from added seats (over time) would pay for the cost of the renovation, and the rest could be covered by donations or the university, not just student hockey fans (and if it doesn't, then please remind me about the economic incentive for the renovation).[/quote]

The problem, at least as I see it, is highlighted here. It seems like the tone is that only students have been asked to help. As has been pointed out before, and again in jtw's post, everyone has had to pay more and even some alums have had their activities curtailed; see my signature line. Some of us have donated when the U asked, that has always been part of the plan.Your argument would be a lot stronger if it didn't seem you felt you were the only group suffering.

[mnagowski]

Jim -- Were you a candy thrower? If so, thanks!

[beejj]

[quote mnagowski].

I do agree that the prices for students should not have gone up, and the 'townies' should have been 'taxed' instead.[/quote]

Yeah, God forbid the "poor" students park their Lexus RX330s and BMW X5s and walk for an hour here or there to save the 30 bucks for tickets.  No, lets tax the "rich" townies who make $9.75 an hour at the bagel store or 35 grand a year working for Cornell.::rolleyes::

[mnagowski]

[quote beejj][quote mnagowski].

I do agree that the prices for students should not have gone up, and the 'townies' should have been 'taxed' instead.[/quote]

Yeah, God forbid the "poor" students park their Lexus RX330s and BMW X5s and walk for an hour here or there to save the 30 bucks for tickets.  No, lets tax the "rich" townies who make $9.75 an hour at the bagel store or 35 grand a year working for Cornell.::rolleyes::[/quote]

You paint in broad brushed strokes. Thousands of Cornell students come from more modest means. And plenty of those who sit is Section C are Cornell professors making pretty good change.

The important distinction is that most Cornell students are already paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.

[KeithK]

[quote mnagowski][The important distinction is that most Cornell students are already paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.[/quote]
Cornell students aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.  They are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a University education and (hopefully) a diploma with Ezra's face on it.  It's an investment by the student and a fair* exchange.  It doesn't give entitle students to cheap hockey tickets or a hockey team, for that matter.

* Fair in the sense of honest and clear frmo the outset, not whether the price is fair.

[KeithK]

I'd surprised if ticket prices reflect anythign mroe than what the AD thinks they can charge to maximize revenue.  Maybe it's not the right price point - they didn't seel every ticket this year.  But considering that the AD reportedly has to largely support itself and hockey is about the only significant revenue sport it makes sense to try to maximize revenue from hockey tickets.

[ftyuv]

[quote KeithK][quote mnagowski][The important distinction is that most Cornell students are already paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.[/quote]
Cornell students aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.  They are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a University education and (hopefully) a diploma with Ezra's face on it.  It's an investment by the student and a fair* exchange.  It doesn't give entitle students to cheap hockey tickets or a hockey team, for that matter.

* Fair in the sense of honest and clear frmo the outset, not whether the price is fair.[/quote]

Let's not kid ourselves.  Cornell students pay for the status of the Cornell pedigree and all of the perks it bestows in our society.  The education helps keep up the farce, and sports are one of the many things intended to keep HSers applying, keep them happy once they get there, and hopefully keep them donating after they leave.

[mnagowski]

Cornell students aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University. They are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a University education and (hopefully) a diploma with Ezra's face on it. It's an investment by the student and a fair* exchange. It doesn't give entitle students to cheap hockey tickets or a hockey team, for that matter.

Well, then this is where you and I differ. I am of the opinion that a large part of the value in a Cornell education lies beyond the diploma and the classroom, and can be found in the way that students grow socially, emotionally, physically, and morally during their time at Cornell.

You may not think that the University should provide cheap hockey tickets to students, but it is already financially supporting a lot of things to support the various ways in which students can grow and learn during college. These include such things as rather irreverent guest lecturers (John Cleese or Bill Nye anyone?), Habitat for Humanity trips to rural West Virgina, Adirondack backpacking expeditions, intercollegiate engineering competitions, poetry readings and art installations, and yes, intercollegiate athletics. Personally, I believe I benefited immensely from a lot of these activities when I was in college, and I know most of my peers feel the same way too.

You may think these are are frivolous wastes of University money, but I imagine most students and alums do not. In fact, the reason why I decided to attend Cornell was due to the seemingly endless supply (and balance!) of student activities found on campus. And the reason why most of us are here on this thread is because we found a lot of value in Cornell's hockey program -- socially, emotionally, etc., and we would like to see the sustained student and alumni interest in the program to continue.

So when admission to a college hockey game is free for students at other ECAC schools, but the student ticket price of Cornell hockey keeps on going  up, I think we have a valid reason to be concerned.

[KeithK]

[quote mnagowski]

Cornell students aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University. They are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a University education and (hopefully) a diploma with Ezra's face on it. It's an investment by the student and a fair* exchange. It doesn't give entitle students to cheap hockey tickets or a hockey team, for that matter.

Well, then this is where you and I differ. I am of the opinion that a large part of the value in a Cornell education lies beyond the diploma and the classroom, and can be found in the way that students grow socially, emotionally, physically, and morally during their time at Cornell.

You may not think that the University should provide cheap hockey tickets to students, but it is already financially supporting a lot of things to support the various ways in which students can grow and learn during college. ...

You may think these are are frivolous wastes of University money, but I imagine most students and alums do not. ...

So when admission to a college hockey game is free for students at other ECAC schools, but the student ticket price of Cornell hockey keeps on going  up, I think we have a valid reason to be concerned.[/quote]
You're reading too much into my post.  I don't necessarily think all of the other things that Cornell spends money on are frivolous. I don't think that the other stuff is meaningless.  I'm just saying that what you're paying for specifically is the education and the pedigree.  The other stuff is gravy.  It may or may not have affected your decision to come to Ithaca.  But you can't really expect any specific benefit from your tuition dollars other than an education.

We can ask for cheap or free hockey tickets.  But paying tuition doesn't entitle us to cheap hockey viewing.

[KeithK]

[quote ftyuv][quote KeithK][
Cornell students aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars to support the various pursuits of the University.  They are paying tens of thousands of dollars for a University education and (hopefully) a diploma with Ezra's face on it.  It's an investment by the student and a fair exchange.[/quote]

Let's not kid ourselves.  Cornell students pay for the status of the Cornell pedigree and all of the perks it bestows in our society.  The education helps keep up the farce, and sports are one of the many things intended to keep HSers applying, keep them happy once they get there, and hopefully keep them donating after they leave.[/quote]
Yes, the pedigree matters.  That's why I mentioned Ezra's head.  But I do think I got a pretty good education from Cornell.  I'm pretty confident that it was a better education than I would've gotten at Joe Blow State.  So it's not just the pedigree that I was paying for.