I read with interest a letter in the November 8 issue of The Poly regarding seats at the Pepsi. On one point I agree—it must have been nice not to have to look at the backs of the Rude Army.

On the assignment of seats for the Pepsi games I have to strongly disagree. The seats assignments could not have been handled more poorly from my perspective. I’ve been attending RPI hockey games since the mid seventies. I grew up across the street from former coach Jim Salfi and began rooting for RPI, was in the class of ’83, and went to most of the games in the early to mid 80s, attended a few games a year between then and returning to RPI as a grad student, and since then have been getting season tickets each year with several friends. I’m not asking for a medal, but I don’t expect poor treatment either.

We were not that excited about having to take the Governor’s Cup tickets (we kind of like the home ice, on-campus atmosphere) but decided to buy season tickets again anyway. When we picked up our season tickets there was a note inside stating that the tournament tickets would be mailed. When they had not come by Wednesday just prior to the tournament I called the Field House box office and was told we had to pick them up. When I picked them up on Friday I was quite disappointed to find we had been assigned five single seats. The box office said that was the best they could do. I was pretty surprised, as previous neutral ice games between RPI and Union have not been extremely well-attended and I was surprised that the tournament had apparently sold so many tickets that only singles were available.

So imagine my surprise to learn after the tournament that the attendance at the Pepsi was around 4,000 each day. It’s amazing to me that with that many empty seats that RPI and the Pepsi could not figure out how to seat us together. Needless to say, it’s doubtful that we’ll buy tickets if the Governors Cup tickets are part of the season ticket package next year (And the home ice tournament tickets are not?). It also cost the tournament some additional ticket sales. Some other friends asked me about the tournament the night before, and I told them we had ordered our season tickets in September and were given single seats, and not wanting to sit in single seats they decided not to go.

I have to assume that one of the reasons for requiring season ticket holders to take the Governor’s Cup tickets was to make the tournament economically viable. RPI and the Pepsi need to improve the handling of tickets if there is any hope of that happening.

Jim Burnes

ALUM ’83