Tix at Cornell
 
It seems to me that, at a quick glance, Cornell charges the most on a per game
basis for its hockey tickets ($114 for 14 games for students; we non-students
pay more).  And our season passes do not include any holiday tournament,
post-season playoffs, etc.  With a rink of 4000 (or 3822 as the press releases
claim; and just how do they get SO accurate?), Cornell certainly makes good
money on hockey.
 
As Bill Fenwick has pointed out, non-student hockey season passes are renewable
(sorry, students).  However, since my return in 1989, I don't believe that
Cornell has held a single staff/faculty sale.  Last year I participated in the
"upgrade" where you can give up your seats in hope that you get better ones.  I
got lucky:  I helped a friend traded a pair of separate seats for two seats in
section N, in front of the opposing net.  That's how I was able to manage my
season tickets, without risking my life with the undergrads in that fiasco last
year.  Personally, I'd like to be able to have a shot at the staff ticket sale.
 However, it seemed that the athletic office took back all the unsold/unrenewed
seats after the upgrade for its internal use (athletic staff, visiting
recruits, etc).
 
A footnote:  Yesterday's announcement of the ticket sale in the Cornell Daily
Sun did not state explicitly that students could begin picking up line numbers
yesterday, which resulted in a slow turnout.  Though the first 850 line numbers
were the priority tickets, only 800 were claimed as of last night.  The
athletic office also modified it plan to make periodic line checks during the
day.  Line checks are now done at 9pm daily until Friday.  I wonder just how
many people will miss this easy procedure.  The original idea was that only the
most determined hockey fans will stay through the whole process to get tickets.
 Bowing to student concerns that they will miss classes/meals/labs/work, the
athletic office relented and made the procedure easier.  The editorial in the
Sun questioned the wisdom of requiring students to spend the night in the rink
in this new system, since if one passes the line check at 9 pm Friday, one is
assured of entry into the rink next morning.  Why make people camp out on hard,
concrete floor for nothing?  (sure, it can be a big party, with the coach, the
Pep band, and selected others scheduled to appear).
 
Tom Y. Tseng
Cornell '87 Grad '94?