December 10, 2021 | OPINION | By Zeke Lloyd | Photo by Tamar Crump
I missed my alarm on Monday. Usually, that’s not a big deal. If I’m still asleep at 8:45 a.m., my roommate will usually shake me awake. It is a little inconvenient when I choose to snooze. I don’t get to comb my hair or eat breakfast, but I manage to go about my day without experiencing too much consequence.
When I stumbled out of bed at 8:15 on Monday morning, though, I panicked. I couldn’t help but think I lost my chance to acquire the prized commodity: hockey tickets. Thinking the moment was missed, I didn’t bother to check if they were still available until 9:00 a.m.
To my surprise, they were.
As it turns out, Colorado College recently increased its student ticket allotment. At the exhibition game against Air Force on Oct. 2, the college offered 350 student tickets. For the games this Friday and Saturday, the school made 500 student tickets available. As a percentage of the student body, that’s an increase from 17% to 25%. Not too bad.
The cause for this change is not entirely clear. Students complained about the limited number of student tickets. It’s possible that had a real impact. Ed Robson Arena was also seeing limited turnout from season ticket holders, so the increase in student tickets may be a product of the administration’s desire to fill up the venue.
Some problems remain, though. The number of physical seats provided to students is not 500. Some attendees are forced to stand or seek out seats left abandoned by season ticket holders.
Moreover, the means by which students get tickets is surprisingly crude and unnecessarily complex. Ticketmaster can be confusing, especially when trying to use a computer browser in tandem with the app. While students now have a larger window of time to get tickets, it’s not evident that the first-come, first-serve model is the most equitable method of distribution.
This is a good first step, though. I will not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I feel heard. Let me be the first to extend my gratitude for increased student seating capacity. This marks an important part of Ed Robson Arena’s progression towards becoming a true community center.
To the administration, let me point out there’s more to consider. So, while you’re listening to student complaints, let me remind you of some other ones. The facility’s construction caused the demolition of the B-Side collective music space and the school’s only 3D art studio. That wouldn’t be so inexcusable if the communities who relied on them were given adequate alternatives. Wooglin’s Deli, a sandwich shop beloved by students, was also forced to moved.
The stadium also fails to meet its carbon neutral goal. This shortcoming came as a product of cutting costs, which was mandated after the arena spending went overbudget. Another impact of retroactively saving money: broken seats. Already, parts of the arena are in need of repair. It has been open to the public for roughly two months.
Make amends. Work to build back more spaces for the ones you destroyed. Encourage more local participation in the facility’s spaces. Make the stadium a symbol of athletic and environmental unity.
I stand by what I said. Increasing student tickets from 350 to 500 is a good first step. I’m an optimist. I think you heard our complaints about the empty seats and decided to give us more.
Let’s see how you respond to the rest of the list.