LETTER: Second-Class Students

To the Editor: I was outraged to learn, however, that although I purchased the 166th pair of tickets sold -- the envelopes were numbered -- I could not get a seat in the lowest section of the Palestra. When I asked the woman at the ticket window why this was so, she replied, "Some of the tickets go to alumni." "They," she emphasized, "pay full price." The Athletic Department acts as if they are doing us a great favor by allowing students to have good seats at a discounted price. I appreciate the discount, but it is sad that they have placed undergraduates so low on their list of priorities. It is, after all, largely the students who contribute to the success of the basketball program. It is students who play the game, and students whose spirit and attendance give meaning to the season. Imagine a Penn basketball game in which only alumni played in front of only alumni spectators, with no student band or student spirit. I agree the alumni should have access to choice seating, too. But of the best 500 seats in the Palestra, only 150 -- at best -- go to the students. I guess that about sums up where we stand in the eyes of the administration. Many students here at Penn have long had the feeling that as undergraduates, we are second-class citizens at best. I hope that someday the administration will get the picture and change policies which reflect this attitude. As students we may not give generous financial gifts to the University, but our tuition should be more than enough to ensure VIP treatment. THERESA VINSON Nursing '92

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