By
Jeff Lund
Arizona Daily Wildcat
This season, when the No. 1 ranked Wildcats take to Lute Olson Court, who will be there with painted faces, signs and colored hair, then scream and yell wildly for every breakaway, three pointer or Loren Woods block?
The students.
Who will just politely applaud from their prime seats as Richard Jefferson jumps from the three-point line and clips his fingernails on his way to a sick dunk?
I'll give you a hint - they didn't have to wait inside McKale Center for six hours to get tickets.
A new building is being added to McKale Center. While they are at it, why not just renovate the ticket office? I figure this is the perfect time for some renovation of the whole ticketing process. With half of the Mall torn up, new parking garages being built, a new student union on the way and an addition to McKale, why the hell not?
Building something that doesn't inconvenience the students will be a step in the right direction.
As I waited inside McKale Center with my friends to pick up basketball tickets, I relished being able to sit in the ring of red seats - the view is so much better from there. I can actually read the letters at center court! And, I didn't get any nosebleeds from the elevation, either.
It's too bad that, when the season starts, the seats that I waited for hours in line will be replaced with cushioned blue ones in back of the yellow section just behind BFE.
Why must the heart and life of the UA crowd - the students - be subjected to such an experience?
Being a good fan is not an easy task. It takes teamwork, just like basketball does. In order to perform and do our part as the basketball team does its, we, the students, need to work together.
So in order to have a good game from the stands and support our team more productively, wouldn't it seem logical to put the students together?
So maybe a student section won't happen.
What about selling tickets in groups of 10-15, maybe more, so I can sit with my friends and not just sit with one friend surrounded by general-public seat warmers that do nothing but watch the game.
How about a quiz or test of some sort as a friend of mine recommended in order to ensure that only quality fans receive quality seating.
The quiz will be simple and will show the fan's knowledge and worth as a fan. If the ticket seeker can't answer questions like: 1) How tall is the basketball hoop? 2) What color is a basketball? 3) What is the name of the tallest guy on the UA team? and 4) What year did the Wildcats win the National Championship? then they don't deserve tickets.
Let the most dedicated fans sit in the choice seats. Stick the idiots who go to basketball games to "be seen" sit in the nosebleed section.
I have been reading that alumni and other sources that give donations receive certain perks and privileges. Buildings named after them, golden toilet seats, whatever.
So why shouldn't I - being a student here - be able to see my team and my classmates play basketball from a more reasonable location?
I pay roughly $4000 for out-of-state tuition and those from the state of Arizona pay roughly half that.
I think that the loss of sleep, breakfast, class, and lunches that I have donated for tickets this year is a pretty good donation considering I'm a poor college student from Alaska.
I'm not asking for the Jeff Lund Memorial Cactus Garden, all I am asking is that my friends, fellow students and I have a better view at basketball games.
If we are going to hang from the rafters, let us hang from the rafters together.
