Letter to the Editor

I wrote a letter to the editor of the OSU Barometer regarding this whole scrap over student seats at baseball games. For more background on this story, I provided a few links.

http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/06/43e6f9da4c224?in_archive=1

http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/07/43e84df2734cf?in_archive=1

Here's my letter. Hasn't been published yet, but let me know what you think.

Students can't have it both ways.

Just a few months ago, I remember student outcry because a report came out that athletics was pulling money from funds allocated for educational use. Now that the athletic department has a chance to make some money of its own by capitalizing on the success of the baseball team, students cry foul. What gives?

In the 8 years I've lived in Corvallis, I would be surprised if 500 students ever showed up for a single baseball game, save for the few final series of last years season. Furthermore, 500 seats is over 20% of the available seats for a baseball game. Compare that to the less than 15% of available seats they have for basketball and football, and I'd say they're getting a pretty fair deal.

Dan McCarthy says he is afraid that students will be "priced out" if sports such as softball or volleyball become successful. Yet OSU is one of very few major colleges not to charge students for tickets to any sport. Granted athletic fees are factored into student tuition, but these only cover basketball and football tickets for students. What would students rather have? Tickets that can be paid for by scholarships and grants, or out of pocket expenses? He probably should wait until students actually have to pay for sporting events before worrying about high ticket prices.

I agree that students are a valuable part of a home crowd. They are some of the loudest and most energetic fans in the stands.....if they show up. And they only show up if the team is good or we're playing the Ducks. If the baseball team is 6-18, are 500 students really going to show up for a rainy Wednesday afternoon game against the University of Portland? I'd be surprised if you get 50. Even for football and basketball, it's a very rare occasion when every student ticket is distributed, much less every seat actually filled.

Perhaps student government should focus more on educational issues than where they sit to watch a sport they couldn't have cared less about one year ago.