Smicket tension
Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Updated: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 21:12
We were not aware that the student tickets for the two schools competing in the national championship would be allotted to three schools.
On the official Saint Mary’s website the following question is found in the FAQ section: “What is Saint Mary’s relationship with the University of Notre Dame?” Let us emphasize the word “relationship.” Saint Mary’s has a relationship with Notre Dame, but they are not the same institution. Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross students are all allowed to attend Notre Dame home football games during the regular season. This is an example of the strong and historic relationship that Notre Dame has with these two institutions — the kind of relationship that Saint Mary’s describes on its website. There is a difference, however, between guaranteeing tickets for home games to Saint Mary’s and allocating a limited number of tickets that are in high demand to them as well. A long-standing relationship between Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s should not impede Notre Dame students’ chances of attending their university’s participation in a national championship.
Please understand that this argument does not stem from any dislike of Saint Mary’s or any want to damage the relationship between Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s. The point is that the students of the schools competing in the national championship should have the better chance to be sitting in the student sections at Sun Life Stadium. It is unfair to every Notre Dame student who wants to enter the lottery that students from an institution, whose athletes are not participating in the national championship, are allowed an equal chance to win a ticket to the game when they are already in such high demand.
Ideally, every person who wanted to attend the national championship would be able to, however this is not feasible. The University was allotted 17,000 tickets, and 2,500 of these are allotted to students. Considering that the 2,500 tickets awarded in the lottery will clearly not meet the demands of the Notre Dame student population alone, it does not seem logical to open the lottery to yet another student body. Giving Saint Mary’s students equal access to the lottery further decreases the number of Notre Dame students who will receive tickets. Every Saint Mary’s student who wins a ticket is taking one away from a Notre Dame student. Now, students enrolled at the University of Notre Dame have a smaller chance of winning an otherwise unaffordable ticket to their university’s participation in a national championship.
A concerned alumnus donated a generous $375,000 to allow discounted student tickets, in order to make them more affordable, and thus, more accessible for Notre Dame students. We are forever grateful for this gift because, without it, many students from both Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s would not even be able to consider attending the game. However, because this generosity is extending past the Notre Dame student body and including the Saint Mary’s student body, tickets will be less accessible to Notre Dame students.
We offer the following proposal: Let Saint Mary’s students apply for the lottery once the majority of the demands of the Notre Dame student population are met. This same concept would be expected for a Saint Mary’s event — the majority of Saint Mary’s students would be guaranteed a ticket before Notre Dame students were offered any. Saint Mary’s is part of the Notre Dame family; there is no question about that. The question becomes who should have the majority of access to student tickets for the national championship? The University of Notre Dame is playing against the University of Alabama on Jan. 7, 2013 in the BCS National Championship Game.
Amy Porter
junior
Farley Hall
Dec. 4
Nicole Simon
junior
Farley Hall
Dec. 4
Jennifer Jones
junior
Farley Hall
Dec. 4
Patrick Bedard
junior
Zahm Hall
Dec. 4
Charles Magiera
sophomore
Keough Hall
Dec. 4
32 comments
1.) Aren't both of these institutions founded in and overly proud of their shared religious faith? I think that complaining about the unfairness of "who gets what" when this "what" is a luxury, non-necessity item - half gift even - goes against the central message of this religion. You know, like that 'treat others how you want them to treat you in return' saying or the fact that the name of their religious sect means "universal" meaning all are included or all are welcome. Really, they mean the same thing. Anyway, a great deal of students at ND talk obnoxiously openly about their faith, yet these same people are the most judgmental and inconsiderate snobs I have ever encountered. Point is, these people clearly have no idea what their religion is about yet they practice all its rituals with such sincerity, and that is very unsettling. On so many levels.
2. Given the self-solicited religious nature of the institutions and the majority of their students, one could assert that they should probably assume that the "unfair" setup of the lottery was the intention of the donor. It is most likely the case that this donor, at least, approved it. In any case, the administration is likely not going to do anything about it, whether or not you publicly complain. Also, anyone in their right mind would be ashamed to act on a desire to complain about such a juvenile, selfish issue, especially given the generous nature of the (economical) availability of these tickets. On that note:
3. Griping about the terms of a gift is despicable and goes against the beliefs of both schools and all their members, which includes the donor. Religion aside, this remains true. Students not only so far as to publish a somewhat formal complaint regarding the matter, they let loose on the internet with inconsiderate comments that liken them to a literate buffoon, claiming false, unchecked assumptions for the public to read and portraying themselves as unlearned, uncultured and completely self-interested.
4.Well I do not care about this enough to continue explaining why people should be appalled at the reaction of ND students to this issue. I believe it is pretty self-evident. (However, internet commentary does suggest this is the case.)
I really hope that people with any sense are truly upset by the savagery of this situation. It is truly pathetic.
Using total enrollment numbers: 10.41% without SMC, 9.17% with SMCWhere are these "hundredth of a percent" numbers coming from?
odds should the SMC students not be in the lottery: 2500/12004=.21 which equals a 21% chancenext time check your math before you ridicule notre dame students for whining about a one hundredth of a percent difference. it's actually a 3 percent difference, making you 300% off. educate yourself
is a member of the 
