hockey line forming

[TCHL8842]

I would definitely agree with you there.  At first I thought 320 was  a bad number since last year I was in the 90s, but this would of been comparable to 160 last year which aint that bad.

[Pace]

This was absolutelly terrible. For one thing, some people clearly knew before the announcement on the radio. We were in the car in front of Mudd Hall and saw people sprinting past us but couldn't follow because we didn't know where to go. Had to wait for the announcement. Sprinted over to A in like 30 seconds but were already at the bottom of the stairs. Made the mistake of being orderly and staying in the natural line up the stairs. I know of people who jogged in from C-town, cut up the slope in front of the stairs and got 400 places in front of us.

I think it's clear that Athletics gave themselves away before the announcement. Considering how many people were all around Lynah there was a line before the announcement.

Gene should be dragged out on the street and shot.

[CM cWo 44]

Wow, some of the clowns that got high numbers make me want to throw up. Section B may actually need a training class to learn cheers. I hate Freshmen, and the fat bitch that elbowed me in the neck. For shame, Gene Nighman, FOR SHAME!

[Molgestron]

Yeah, agree with everything people have said.

This is my first time posting here but the display tonight warrants it. I came with a pretty big group and we're all evenly spaced from #40 to #1300. The doors outside Section A were an absolute disgrace. My friends are all bruised and when we finally left the Ramin room there were 5 or 6 people on the curb outside of Lynah waiting for an ambulance. Much more unsafe than the cars charging through that parking lot last year, which also scared me.

Once inside, things were calmer and the wristband system worked. If they had been prepared for the people rushing the Section A doors, things would have been calm. Instead, they took 10 minutes to even open the doors, letting the crowd swell around it and then it took another 10 minutes for the cops to get there and make any semblance of order.

Athletics is really going to hear it this year and they did a pretty good job of messing up the Lynah atmosphere. I've been in B both of my two years here and I'm #516 this year- probably will end up with a block in D. I knew things were screwed when I saw Ari 40 spots behind me.

VBR also did a good job tonight, for what its worth.

I'm off to write my email to Athletics and Gene. Hope everyone gets tickets and gets back safe.

[Molgestron]

[Q] For one thing, some people clearly knew before the announcement on the radio [/Q]

We were waiting outside Bartels for anything when the ushers entered the building and kicked students out. Then cop cars came by and barricaded the streets (a smart idea at least) and cleared people from Lynah. There were about 500 people at the front entrance to Bartels until someone started sprinting towards the football field. Needless to say, 95% of the crowd went with him. They realized nothing was going on and got back to the entrance of Bartels just as Gene was getting on the air. Then that whole crowd started sprinting to Section A as soon as it was announced.

Nobody was at the Section A doors prior to the radio announcement so I doubt it leaked. But people undoubtedly called their friends when they saw the ushers which gave groups a good 5-10 minutes to get to Bartels.

I hope that made sense.

[TCHL8842]

I really dont agree with the line before he announced it.  About 1000+ ppl ran from all round campus around Barton, and then the announce came and those 1000 ppl ran back up to Lynah.  I had some ppl get lucky and get close to the front, but I think this

[BMac]

This was ridiculous. The only place they couldn't have made the line start should have been the EXACT EPICENTER of where hundreds of people were waiting. There was no funnel to make a line, there was no police control. It was very poorly thought out. I was on the right hand side of the line by the metal guardrail and there was a girl literally being crushed between the mob and the rail. A guy pulled her over after they got space, and she was crying.

Nobody got tickets near their friends. I thought the idea of this place was to let the most worthy fans get the best sections- it instead resulted in the people who most cut getting the best numbers. I hope many of us from B last year end up in D or worse and teach those kids there how to cheer- the people who got into B probably won't.

[bhe2]

Section D is the new B :-D

[Ben Rocky '04]

Like we haven't heard that before.

[sen '08]

I can attest that nobody was really standing around the section A doors.  My group was lucky enough to be hanging out in the parking lot, and yes, we did see the ushers go in, and Dave come out, but we still didn't move. And we didn't see anyone really mob toward the door until the announcement was actually made.

As soon as the announcement was made, it was sheer insanity.  Most of the people in my group were on the steps right in front of the door.  The way people mobbed around the door made it so that people in between the two railings were carried in through the doors, and people who were unlucky enough to be on the other sides of the railings were stuck and couldn't really get in.  The numbers in my group ranged from 5 to in the 270s, and we were all at least on the steps before the doors were opened.  

I don't think very many people got away without some sort of injury.  Since I'm very small I was litterally pushed up and carried through the door into Lynah, and there was nothing I could do.  One of the scariest experiences of my life.

I'm sure we'll hear many, many more horror stories.

Badly done, badly done.

[canuck15]

I was on the right side of the door, by the rail, and I also saw people getting crushed.  I, being a less than well-built male, found it hard to breathe at times.  I had to stand on top of a bush in order to clear some room.  Luckily, a man to my right helped keep people from pushing forward and making the situation worse.  Seriously, even though I have a good number, I am disgusted by all the facetimers around me who do not even care about their fellow faithful.  Cornell athletics clearly did not think about our safety; otherwise, it would not have taken cops 15 minutes to arrive outside the doors.

[sen '08]

Agreed, there were way too many people who managed to be complete arses and push and weave their way through toward the front, making it even worse for everyone and harder to breath.

[mtmack25]

This concept of surprising everyone has gotten absurd.  I understand that they want to make it fair to people who choose to stay in class all week.  As I understand, that was the problem with the scheduled Friday line format.  But the problems that have arisen by changing it far outway the problems that existed with that system.  If I had it my way, I would schedule the line formation for 4pm like they used to, let the line form whenever it does (be it Tuesday night or Friday morning, something they did not allow), and choose a weekend before prelims begin.

Tonight's exhibition also showed a complete lack of understanding by the ticket office as to the demand for these tickets.  Is anyone reading this surprised that 2000+ people showed up tonight?  I am pretty sure that the ticket office did not, or if they did, they have no idea how to manage an event of this magnitude.  Ten police officers may have been there... to manage thousands of people?  Why is there not a roped entry way?  Or an entryway that is not on a staircase, at least?  

Whatever the problems of the old line system, I do not remember people getting hurt.  Does anyone else?

[Alex]

How much do you pay for section c, out of curiousity?

[mtmack25]

Oh yeah, and one ticket per person is supposed alleviate what exactly?