Tent outside Hilton catches fire....

BikeSkiClone

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Jul 25, 2014
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If you forbid them to be on campus, they will line up in the street. You aren't going to stop these students.

A few regulations about safety are fine, but I sure hope they don't outlaw it or regulate it out of existence.

Perhaps they should give out numbers to people who get in line. And then randomly go through the line to see who is still there. If the number is missing, then whoever has that number goes to the back of the line and gets a new number (and the first number is removed). When ready to let people in, they simply check numbers as they send them to the ticket checkers. This would also eliminate the 15-20 people who jump in line with their "friends" who waited in line for days.

It could be done with raffle type tickets that have two sets of the same numbers.

This eliminates the ability for these students to attend class, go to meetings, and fulfill other student obligations. From what I understand, the way it is now the people "keeping order" just want to see at least 1 or 2 placeholders in/near the tent at all times to make it fair for everyone. Students in groups rotate among who is in class, who is in the tent, getting food, etc. so there is someone around.

I think a merit system is a great idea, with points earned for each M & W BB game attended. Pretty sure other schools do this.

EDIT: I like how A&M does their football tickets for students, though I'd rather do it based on merit/attendance points than on academic/class year. Students are given a "pull" (pick up ) day based on their year and can pickup up to 10 additional tickets if they have their friends' ticket passes.
https://www.12thmanfoundation.com/students/pdf/student_ticket_brochure_2015_2016_v2.pdf

But I also think the students enjoy the atmosphere and experience of tent camping and the only ones complaining are those of us not camping...but space heaters in tents is not a good idea.
 
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cstrunk

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Mar 21, 2006
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There is an easy solution. Lottery based on ticket number. Here is what I would propose...

Each student ticket gets number at the start of the season (1-XXX). On big games (or any game for that matter), the university announces which number is "first" in line. All other numbers line up after that person in numerical order (the number right previous to the "first" in line ends up last). When the arena is full, there is cut -off for those still in line.

While maybe not ideal, no one needs to wait except for the line up based on lottery. It is randomized and therefore, most fair.

Thoughts?

I know ticketmaster used to do this for concerts in the past before online sales were huge.

A lottery system is the worst way to get the most enthusiastic and deserving students the best seats. You'll end up getting some student who has never gone to a game getting a front row seat and then deciding that he/she isn't going to go to the game and doesn't even sell it or give it away and then it is empty.

I know the students will hate this idea but the most practical thing to do would go to a lottery or merit type of system to claim assigned seating for at least the KU game. Today's students have the luxury of first come first serve for every game but it was not always like this. Not sure which year exactly it went to that but I know at least through 2000 you only got 4 lower level games based off of what number your season ticket claim was and the rest you had to do general admisission upper level seating. In the fall you went to the ticket office on the days that your number range was allowed to and pick out a 4 game package for your lower level seats. If Iowa was playing at ISU that year you had to choose between a package with either KU or Iowa because they were the most popular games and were never in the same package. I don't think going back to that old system is the solution but for at least the KU game having some kind of assigned seating system makes sense. If you really wanted to reward those who showed up to every game then have a merit system based off the ticket scans from previous games, those who attended the most games would get a higher number to pick out assigned seats. Make this an online thing too which would avoid camping out at the ticket ticket office to claim it too. You could say anyone with a number from 1-200 can pick out tickets at 8am then 200-400 at 9am, etc. Back when they did the 4 game packs you had to show up to claim, if you wanted to get tickets in a group then you had to wait to do it when the highest number in your group could go so once again if you have a group that attends every game and you went on a merit system you would still be able to get good seats since you should all have a good number.

I've said this before, but a merit-based system based on the number of total sports events that a student has attended is the best way to avoid camping and reward the most faithful student fans with the best seats for big games. A student's ID is scanned for each event attended and is rewarded with points. The week before a big game (KU), students with the highest point totals are allowed to select their seats (and maybe even letting them choose 2-3 extra seats next to them to be assigned to their friends so you don't have to sit alone). If students have tickets but don't go to any games (this happens) then they won't have any points and will have the last shot at getting a ticket.

The added benefit to this system is that it encourages students to get out there and support other teams besides just MBB and FB. You'd see an increase in attendance in WBB and Olympic sports, which is something I think the AD could get behind.
 

cyclonedave25

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I hope they don't go back to the lottery system. They used that when I was in school, dumbest idea ever.
Keep it like it is, just ban some things like propane heaters. Allow generators to power anything electric. It would be a shame if this one incident caused a complete change. Leath's wife already made them turn down the music. Stop messing with Hilton and let the kids have fun.
 

Cytasticlone

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Mar 22, 2012
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Ames, IA
Are they still scanning ID's for student tickets? If so, it wouldn't be difficult to track attendance on a student-by-student basis over the course of 4 years, and simply award "place-in-line" numbers from highest to lowest 4-year attendance. So the die-hards that have been going to every ISU game for several years get the best seats. I'd even give students credit for 1.25 games for any game they attend during a holiday - stay in Ames, go to games over break, and get a leg up on all the other students who go home. You could even text/email the place-in-line number to the students the day before the game so they only have to show up a couple hours early to form the line. But this might make it harder for groups to sit together.

I think you solve the bolded by saying your group can get their tickets together when it's the lowest priority students turn. Although, that could add more complication to the merit process.

A lottery system is the worst way to get the most enthusiastic and deserving students the best seats. You'll end up getting some student who has never gone to a game getting a front row seat and then deciding that he/she isn't going to go to the game and doesn't even sell it or give it away and then it is empty.



I've said this before, but a merit-based system based on the number of total sports events that a student has attended is the best way to avoid camping and reward the most faithful student fans with the best seats for big games. A student's ID is scanned for each event attended and is rewarded with points. The week before a big game (KU), students with the highest point totals are allowed to select their seats (and maybe even letting them choose 2-3 extra seats next to them to be assigned to their friends so you don't have to sit alone). If students have tickets but don't go to any games (this happens) then they won't have any points and will have the last shot at getting a ticket.

The added benefit to this system is that it encourages students to get out there and support other teams besides just MBB and FB. You'd see an increase in attendance in WBB and Olympic sports, which is something I think the AD could get behind.

I think maybe, MAYBE, you could do 1 extra so at least they're with a friend. Even with that you're lessening the merit of some of the subsequent higher priority students when someone above them can bring someone who possibly hasn't gone to a single game.
 
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isuska

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Jun 22, 2011
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let's be honest guys . . .

[video=youtube;p_fiVmU0cAY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_fiVmU0cAY[/video]
 

besserheimerphat

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Apr 11, 2006
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That's a heck of a system. I like how the no heaters is almost an afterthought at the end. Although, maybe that shows it's just one of the more obvious rules there. We at least need to do that much here.

Avg January Hi/Lo Temp, Durham NC:
48/27 with 0 - 13 mph winds
27°F with those winds = 27°F to 16°F windchill

Avg January Hi/Lo Temp, Ames IA:
30/12 with 2 - 18 mph winds
12°F with those winds = 12°F to -5°F windchill

It's much more difficult to sleep outside without a heater in Ames, IA than Durham, NC. I know it can be done, I've done it. But for people that haven't and don't know how to prepare, there's a legit risk of frostbite which would end tent city just as fast as a heater fire.
 

cyclonedave25

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Avg high temp in Durham, NC for Jan and Feb: 48 and 53 respectively.
Avs high temp in Ames, IA for same 2 months are: 30 and 35.

Its averages nearly 20 degrees colder in Ames than Durham.
 

cstrunk

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Mar 21, 2006
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I think you solve the bolded by saying your group can get their tickets together when it's the lowest priority students turn. Although, that could add more complication to the merit process.

I think maybe, MAYBE, you could do 1 extra so at least they're with a friend. Even with that you're lessening the merit of some of the subsequent higher priority students when someone above them can bring someone who possibly hasn't gone to a single game.

Most likely they are going to pair up with someone they typically go to games with, but even if they tried choosing a student who has never gone to a single game, you could put stipulations into the "bring a friend" process, like they have to have a certain number of points to be eligible.

I still think it's way better than having to camp out for days in frigid weather to get the best seats. This rewards fan loyalty and removes all the drawbacks that come with camping.

I wish the program was good enough to have to worry about camping when I was in school, but I would never have been able to get good seats for the big MBB games and I went to pretty much every MBB game, most WBB games, FB games, and quite a few Olympic sports too. Camping just wouldn't have been feasible for my engineering schoolwork and part time job.
 

WastedTalent

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Oct 22, 2012
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It's much more difficult to sleep outside without a heater in Ames, IA than Durham, NC. I know it can be done, I've done it. But for people that haven't and don't know how to prepare, there's a legit risk of frostbite which would end tent city just as fast as a heater fire.

This. It's not possible for the average student to sleep outside, with no heater, when the temperatures are single digit.

University could rent a couple of these, and say electric heaters only. I know there's still fire risk with electric, but wouldn't it be safer than propane?
100KVA-Generator1.jpg
 

carvers4math

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Mar 15, 2012
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I think the Athletic Department likes all the attention they are getting from the camping.

The pick up assigned seats for KU some Saturday in December thing they did last year worked ok but also had camping. At least then the students could go to the game fresh as opposed to having been out in the cold for days.
 

nfrine

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Mar 31, 2006
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First we ***** when the students don't show up. Now we ***** because they do. I am an old fart and I say let them camp. I love the spirit.
 

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