Congress laments lack of input on tickets

Student Congress passed a resolution Tuesday night condemning the new online ticket policy, specifically criticizing a lack of student input regarding the policy change.

The resolution, which passed by a vote of 12 to 5, calls on the Athletics Department to make changes as soon as possible - preferably before the start of basketball season.

"I think what Congress would like to have seen was less centralized decision making," Speaker of Congress Luke Farley said Wednesday. "The people making these decisions . didn't really seek input from the average student."

Farley said one solution could have involved conducting a scientific poll on student opinions. A main concern cited in the resolution is the inability of the online system to accommodate group seating options.

Other concerns representatives lodged included a lack of input sought from Congress. Last fall a meeting about ticket policy involved a member of Congress.

But when officials convened again March 3, former Student Body President Seth Dearmin neglected to invite a Student Congress representative, members said.

The result was a lack of input from Congress and a violation of the Student Code, Speaker Pro Tem Dustin Ingalls said.

"It's Congress' job to point out when the Code is violated," he said. "It's not necessarily blaming anyone."

Communication problems also extended to Tuesday's meeting. Carolina Athletic Association President Rachel High said she wasn't informed that the resolution would be up for discussion.

She attended the meeting earlier in the night because CAA appointments were up for approval. But she left before the resolution was discussed, unaware that representatives planned to debate the matter.

"I actually wasn't informed at all that there would be a resolution," High said.

She said she learned of the resolution after returning home and watching the debate on television.

Ingalls said he didn't finish drafting the resolution until Tuesday afternoon, resulting in a time crunch and lack of communication.

He said that in the future Congress will ensure that the CAA is aware of related policies up for debate, and that he plans to meet with High on Friday.

The resolution was introduced concurrently by Ingalls and Tyler Younts, student affairs committee chairman - skipping the normal process in which student affairs first votes on whether to recommend a resolution to the full Congress.

Younts said he felt obliged to act promptly because of the level of outcry Congress has heard from students, saying he has received 30 to 35 e-mails from students about the policy - largely negative.

"Overall campus discussion is really what Congress is concerned about," Farley said. "We had a campus discussion, and a very good, one, but it was after the fact."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.