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EDITORIAL: Clinton lottery creates panic
Editorial | 10/30/07
Posted online at 12:22 AM EST on 10/30/07
/ Last updated at 11:21 PM EST on 10/30/07
While we understand the administration's logistical rationale for distributing tickets to see Bill Clinton via online lottery, we feel this method leaves too much to chance for such a highly anticipated event.
Students who were determined to see former President Jimmy Carter last January waited for hours in a line that spilled outside the Shapiro Campus Center and into the freezing cold. The students who waited but didn't receive tickets were put on a wait-list and ended up receiving tickets, the administration said. Those students were willing to sacrifice their evening and some physical comfort to see Mr. Carter.
Ideally, students who care the most about an event should be the ones who are assured admission. Therefore, when seating is limited, a process is needed to weed out the ultra-committed students from the less-concerned ones. If all a student has to do is go online for a few minutes to see Mr. Clinton, many more will do so, and a student who registers in the lottery minutes before the deadline has an equal chance of getting tickets as a student who registered days before. This blind method doesn't care if one student wants to see Mr. Clinton much more than another, and it heightens student anxiety.
Of course, students who can't wait in line due to academic conflicts shouldn't be penalized. For this reason, the University should have distributed tickets on a Saturday or Sunday. There will never be an ideal date or time that works for thousands of people, but a weekend is likely to accommodate more schedules.
The administration could have also divided the wait into blocks based on last name. A certain number of tickets could be made available during each block. All students whose last names begin with A-D, for example, could have waited between 5 and 7 p.m. This way, not everyone would show up in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium at the same time for tickets, resulting in a smoother process with a shorter wait time.
Both of these methods are superior to a lottery system that caters equally to the most apathetic and enthusiastic among us.
Students who were determined to see former President Jimmy Carter last January waited for hours in a line that spilled outside the Shapiro Campus Center and into the freezing cold. The students who waited but didn't receive tickets were put on a wait-list and ended up receiving tickets, the administration said. Those students were willing to sacrifice their evening and some physical comfort to see Mr. Carter.
Ideally, students who care the most about an event should be the ones who are assured admission. Therefore, when seating is limited, a process is needed to weed out the ultra-committed students from the less-concerned ones. If all a student has to do is go online for a few minutes to see Mr. Clinton, many more will do so, and a student who registers in the lottery minutes before the deadline has an equal chance of getting tickets as a student who registered days before. This blind method doesn't care if one student wants to see Mr. Clinton much more than another, and it heightens student anxiety.
Of course, students who can't wait in line due to academic conflicts shouldn't be penalized. For this reason, the University should have distributed tickets on a Saturday or Sunday. There will never be an ideal date or time that works for thousands of people, but a weekend is likely to accommodate more schedules.
The administration could have also divided the wait into blocks based on last name. A certain number of tickets could be made available during each block. All students whose last names begin with A-D, for example, could have waited between 5 and 7 p.m. This way, not everyone would show up in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium at the same time for tickets, resulting in a smoother process with a shorter wait time.
Both of these methods are superior to a lottery system that caters equally to the most apathetic and enthusiastic among us.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Amy Hasslacher
posted 10/30/07 @ 10:52 AM EST
It's being held in the smaller facility because the Clintons want to create confusion. They want to seem that they are in greater demand than they really are, it's just a trick. (Continued…)
Paul Trusten, R. Ph. '73
posted 10/30/07 @ 11:27 AM EST
I think it would be more meaningful for Brandeis to invite former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak on Israel, terrorism, and Iran. By rights, a lottery should be needed to accommodate all those in the Brandeis community who OUGHT to want to be present to listen to what he says on such an occasion. (Continued…)
Alan Royals
posted 10/30/07 @ 4:44 PM EST
What nonsense! Why should we turn getting tickets into somewhat of a Japanese gameshow, jumping through hoops and walking on hot coals to prove our worthiness as ticket holders? Having tickets distributed during the week punishes those who go to class; having this occur during the weekend punishes those who observe sabbaths, take part in extracurriculars, or commute. (Continued…)
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