Despite new system, discontent still present at town hall meeting
USC may have a new ticketing system, but students still aren’t quite happy.
At a ticketing forum hosted Tuesday afternoon, Adrienne White, the student ticketing coordinator, said she’d gotten 2,540 emails, more than 500 phone calls and more than 800 office visits from students about the ticketing system this year.
They came with a handful of complaints, she said, ranging from the cancellation of their tickets to delayed fee payments that kept students from requesting tickets.
At the stadium, White said, the primary issues affecting tickets are “cards not scanning, bar codes not matching and the technical support behind the CarolinaCard.”
While turnout was low at the forum, the students who attended made it clear that they wanted their opinions heard.
Some students suggested moving up the deadline for claiming tickets. In the current system, students have to be claim their tickets by 5 p.m. the Thursday before a game, which is when the Student Ticketing office closes.
White also pitched various solutions to USC’s ticketing issues, including charging for season tickets. USC is one of only two Southeastern Conference schools that don’t charge for student tickets, she said. The other is Vanderbilt.
The idea has been pitched before, and as in past proposals, it was roundly rejected again Tuesday, although no final decision were made at the forum.
David Stephens, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, expressed plenty of qualms, and he knew other students had complaints too.
“I want what’s best for the student body and what’s fair for everyone,” Stephens said. “Everyone likes to complain a lot, but when it comes to actually coming out, they just seem apathetic about it.”
The forum also discussed student basketball tickets.
This year, there will not be a student season ticket for basketball games, and tickets will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Only 2,500 tickets are reserved for students at basketball games, compared to 12,000 at football games.
More information about basketball tickets will be sent out sometime next week.
White said that in spite of the low turnout, Student Ticketing expects to hold more forums in the future.
“I am pleased with the turnout, believe it or not,” White said. “The students here brought a lot of feedback and opinions.”