November 21, 2003 Student
Life
This feature, "Student Life," returns with a new
name, replacing "Student News." The intent, however,
is the same. "Student Life" brings readers the best
of student-produced journalism at Utah State University. Featured
items are written by students for The Utah Statesman,
the official student newspaper of Utah Sate University, or The
Hard News Café, the online publication from the
Department of Journalism and Communication. Both publications
are award winning and present the talents of Utah State's journalists-in-training.
This week's piece is from the Utah Statesman by writer
Tyler Riggs
Photo by Scott Davis
Spectrum Seating Rules to be
Enforced
From the Utah
Statesman 11/20/03
The seating arrangements in the Spectrum aren't changing, but
a long-standing rule governing the Utah State University student
section will be enforced this basketball season.
 Efforts
from Associated Students of USU Athletics Vice President Tyler
Olsen and Student Advocate Vice President Les Essig in cooperation
with the USU Athletic Department have resulted in the first
10 rows of sections F through M in the Spectrum being reserved
for students only.
Those sections have always been reserved for students, but
the rule has rarely been enforced.
"These are not really changes, we're just going back to
what it should be," said USU ticket manager Clark Livsey.
Livsey said manpower has prevented arena officials from letting
students only sit in the student section. Olsen provided an
answer to that problem by asking members of the student athletic
support organization, The Big Blue Crew, to help out.
"We are concerned about families that are getting in there,"
Olsen said. "We just want to create an environment that
is going to be more conducive to what we're trying to achieve."
The goal for Olsen and other Aggie supporters: Make the Spectrum
one of the most intimidating arenas for opposing basketball
teams to play in the country.
Along with reserving the first 10 rows in the student sections
exclusively for students, Olsen said the area behind the east
basket will house the rowdiest students in the arena.
"We are going to instill what is called The Bull Pen behind
the east basket," Olsen said. "The louder and more
noisy, obnoxious fans will go in that section."
Members of last year's Bull Pen, fraternities, sororities,
Club Hub and any other students who want to get very involved
with the game by cheering will be welcome in The Bull Pen, Olsen
said.
"We're trying to get it together by the BYU game,"
he said. "We've got some shirts we're going to start selling.
Basketball players will be selling shirts; we're still working
on the design."
The prospect of an even rowdier student section is something
Livsey said he would like to see.
"He's going to make it a section that is a little more
lively," Livsey said.
Livsey said the enforcement of seating in the student section
is something that will be left up to the students. He said more
excitement would make a better environment for everybody.
"These are the students' seats, this is something that
needs to be done," Livsey said. "We want what's best
for the students."
During the football season, Olsen campaigned to get every fan
in attendance to wear blue. Those who showed up to Romney Stadium
in blue clothes were rewarded with Tootsie Rolls and temporary
tattoos. Rewards for students wearing blue will be more enticing
during basketball, Olsen said.
"We will have prizes - anywhere from $50 to $100 prize
giveaways - to just a random person who is sitting in the Utah
State student section and wearing a blue shirt or jacket at
the time we call their seat number," he said. "We're
trying to get a sea of blue out there."
Olsen said he is lining up donations to fund the prize giveaways.
"I'd hate to be that person that didn't win the prize
because they weren't wearing a blue shirt," he said.
The desire to make the student section exclusively for students
comes from a trend of families buying lower-priced tickets and
sitting in the low rows of the student section. Olsen said he
is taking the seats back for the students.
"The alumni have plenty of sections of their own,"
he said. "[Some people] are paying the cheapest ticket
they can find and coming and sitting in the best seats in the
house, which are the student seats.
"It's going to cost them some money to do that."
Livsey said one of the biggest misnomers in the Spectrum is
that the student sections are all general admission. He said
there is no general admission seating in the arena; every ticket
lists an assigned seat.
The USU men's basketball team will be in action Nov. 21 against
Fort Lewis College at 6:05 p.m. The women's basketball team
plays its first game in 17 years that evening at 8:05 against
Southern Utah University.
Students are invited to take back their seats.
"We're going to start with the first 10 rows," Olsen
said. "As soon as we get those 10 rows filled, we're going
to get 10 more."
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