THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
NOW THAT'S TEAM SPIRIT
Fans line up for tickets to Border Showdown
**Students wait** in line for tickets to the Kansas-Missouri football game at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday morning. Some students started camping out early Sunday morning so they could be first in line to get tickets.
BY MATT LINDBERG AND THOR NYSTROM
Brian Giebink was watching the Kansas-Oklahoma State football game with two friends when the group began discussing the Nov. 24 Border Showdown between Kansas and Missouri.
Forgoing sleep for seat priority, Giebink decided to bring a blanket and a tent to Allen Fieldhouse about 1 a.m. Sunday and set up shop in front of the ticket office. Giebink, the first student in line, slept by himself on the concrete that night. His tent, not secured, flapped in the wind for the duration of the evening. A security motion light shone into the tent, forcing Giebink to pull his hoodie over his eyes in a futile attempt at darkness. Giebink said another group of students stumbled in from the bars about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday to become group No. 2.
When the sun finally rose, the light shut off, ending a two-hour night of sleep for Giebink, a Rolla, Mo., junior.
Giebink's decision proved to be wise, as hundreds of students followed throughout the early morning hours. By the time the ticket office opened at 9 a.m., a sea of students
"I don't regret it for a second. I still get chills thinking of being front row at the stadium," Giebink said.
wrapped around Allen Fieldhouse to the intersection of Naismith Drive and Sunnyside Avenue to secure their seats. Giebink's group began a sign-up sheet similar to what is seen in Allen Fieldhouse during basketball campouts. More than 200 groups were signed up when the ticket office opened.
Josh Spraddlin, Lawrence senior, said he wasn't planning on heading down to the stadium until midmorning, but a quick glance toward Allen Fieldhouse changed his decision.
"I just got done working my shift at Oliver and saw tents outside the fieldhouse," Spradlin said. "I wasn't going to come until 3 a.m., but when I saw that I decided it was time to go." Spradlin and his group set up camp at 7 p.m. Sunday and ended up toward the beginning of the line.
Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said he wasn't surprised by students turning out early because of their loyalty.
By the time morning hit, the student line had passed the Phog Allen statue in front of the fieldhouse, and rumors began to swirl that there wouldn't be enough tickets for students to attend the game. Marchiony sai
"Students have been terrific supporting our football team, but we just didn't know what to expect because of the date being during break," Marchiony said.
Jessie Fetterling/KANSAN
Lyndsey Orpin, Leeward junior, and Steven Kilgore, Overland Park junior, take down their tent after camping out for tickets to the Kansas-Missouri game at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday morning. Both students, who were in the camouflage group named "Sabo a maile," wait for tickets from 4 p.m. Sunday until 11 a.m. m. Monday.
getting a ticket shouldn't be a concern for students with sports passes.
"There are some lively imaginations online. We believe every student with an all-student sports combo pass who wants to go to the game will be able to go to the game," Marchiony said.
But because of the rumors, students began to buy themselves into groups to make sure they would be able to attend.
Brandon Blakely, Torrance, Calif., graduate student, was camping with Spradlin. He said he saw many groups approaching the first few groups with Ziplock bags full of KUIDs, trying to bribe groups.
Giebink's group was offered $500 in cash to take four student IDs to the ticket window. Students were allowed to redeem 10 IDs at a time for tickets. Giebink's group declined the cash offer immediately.
"No one was going to buy a spot for that," Giebink said. "It isn't fair. The group behind us had been there since 2:30 Sunday morning; we wouldn't have done that to them."
to groups in the front of the line.
Giebink said the group collectively could have made "well over $1,000," and said students were offering about $100 for each ID
"I turned down a lot of money. But there are more important things than money." Giebink said.
Giebink and his group received the ultimate prize — the only seven front row tickets available to students.
Giebink said money exchanges were happening "all over." He said a member of his group saw the second group in line accept $160 to get tickets for four students using their KUIDs, and he said one group near the front brought a stack of IDs to the window that was at least three inches thick.
"We are assuming they took some bribes, which is fine if that is the route they wanted to go," Giebink said.
The bribes ensured prime seats without a need to wait. One of Giebink's friends took a place in line at 9 a.m. and didn't reach the front until 3:30 p.m., a six and a half hour wait that eliminated the possibility of going to class.
One thousand student tickets were allocated in the lower endzone. The rest were scattered around the upper deck. Marchiony said every student with a valid ID received
a ticket.
Ticket pick-up for a round of basketball games also began Monday at the ticket office, and two ticket windows distributed basketball tickets while the other two handed out Missouri football tickets.
Ashley Ryan, Overland Park junior, joined the line at 9:30 a.m. and was disappointed by its length.
"Shame on them for this. The tickets are supposed to be for the students," Ryan said. "It's our team. We've been here for hours."
Two members of Giebink's group, Katie Huber and Cassie Nealon, both St. Louis sophomores, missed class on Monday to sleep in the tent on Sunday night.
Lauren Hickman, Kansas City, Mo., junior, said the group didn't realize they were missing Sunday night's basketball game between Kansas and UMKC, until they saw curious fans walking past the row of tents to the arena.
"It used to be that people forgot about football" Hickman said. "Now they are forgetting about basketball."
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
overheard in the ticket line:
KUMU
EVENT CODE
345 40 1 E $30.00 KUMU
SECTION AREA HOUR BOX SEAT
$ 30.00
Enter Gate H
TAX INCLUDED
EVENT CODE
11473561
$ 345
0
"We have not moved very far, and we got here at 7:30 a.m. It's crazy, people are buying up."
— Jena Jessup, Almena freshman
$30.00
345
40
10/22/007
2
11/24/007 10:43 AM
1
KUMU
EVENT CODE
345
SECTION NAME
ROW, BOX
SEAT
ADMISSION
EVENT CODE
$ 30.00
Enter Gate H
TAX INCLUDED
11473561
$ 30.00
345
0
40 1
10/2/2007
2
11/6/2007 10:43 AM
"We've been sitting here all night,
and I got like one hour's worth of
sleep."
— Dustin Allen, Topeka senior
$30.00
345
40
1
KUMU
EVERY CODE 345 40 1 E $30.00 KUMU
SECTION AREA NEW BOX SEAT ADMISSION EVERY CODE
$ 30.00 Enter Gate H TAX INCLUDED 11473561
$ DONATION FEE
$ 345
0
40 1
"This was pretty poorly organized. It's stupid to have basketball tickets the same day. We could have had four windows open as opposed to two."
$30.00
345
40
10/2/2007
2
11/6/2007 10:13 AM — Paul Laskowski, Topeka freshman
1
index
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© 2007 The University Daily Kansan
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COMMUNITY SERVICE
Hospital provides opportunities for volunteering, field experience
Rachel Williams, Conway, Ark., junior, said she enjoyed helping the hospital staff. She said the little tasks she did for them were appreciated, and she realized her work was
About 200 University students volunteer throughout the year at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Their work ranges from running errands and assisting in the emergency room to taking time to talk with patients.
Students help doctors in ER, surgery, radiology
Ahram Han, Reeds Spring, Mo., senior, said a volunteer experienced both rewarding and heart-wrenching situations. She said being around patients who maintained positive attitudes helped her appreciate what she had.
helpful.
FULL STORY PAGE 3A
CAMPUS
Fund named for lecturer assists English majors Scholarship to aid research, study abroad
Bernard "Bud" Hirsch, a former professor of English who died last year, established a new scholarship for undergraduates majoring in English.
The Mary A. Klayder Scholarship will help support various student activities, including undergraduate research work and study abroad. The scholarship is named after Klayder,
4
a University Honors Lecturer in English.
Klayder got her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1972 and has taught at the University since 1985. Klayder is also a H.O.P.E. Award finalist this year.
FULL STORY PAGE 6A