Column: Guarding the future

The Indiana Daily Student printing a story about fixing the student section has become monotonous.

Every year, the same complaining, proposed solutions and inaction circle around like a broken carousel.

But this season, change has a timetable.

“The goal is next year,” junior Chris Port, president of the Crimson Guard, said. “Obviously, no promises, that is just the goal. We’re gathering all the data this year, hopefully we’ll have the proposal by the start of this summer because that’s usually when most of these types of decisions are made.”

By gathering information from student surveys, Port and his team hope to put together a proposal for student section restructuring that will go to IU Athletic Director Fred Glass.

But why now?

After so many seasons of student dissatisfaction, why should we believe things are finally different?

Port said that although the Crimson Guard has been an official student organization since its inception, this is the first year it is a branch of the Student Athletic Board. This connection gives Crimson Guard a direct connection to the IU Athletic Department through a department representative who is on-call to hear Port’s ideas.

“I think an interesting parallel is comparing us to the actual team,” Port said. “The past few years, we’ve been down, we’ve been struggling, but they always had that foundation they were laying, and they knew it was eventually going to come to fruition and that’s what’s happening right now. That’s what’s starting to happen right now with us and hopefully on into next year.”

Already this season, the Crimson Guard has created an IU student ticket exchange program through Facebook, which he said helps fill Assembly Hall and helps upgrade students to better seating. For instance, a student with balcony seating can go on the ticket exchange and look to buy a seat closer to the floor.

But the focus remains on creating a better student section model.

“Our big project right now is student seating,” Port said. “I get thoughts every day from people who think it should change, and honestly it should. Students are scattered all over the place, and a lot of that has to do with the structure of Assembly Hall.”

Before any drastic changes are proposed, Crimson Guard has to find out what’s best for the students by going straight to the source. Port said an initial survey of student season ticket holders done in December gathered 400 responses, with another survey coming in the near future.

“There’s just so many variables you have to consider and so many things people don’t realize go on,” he said. “It’s a very complicated process. You have to take into consideration seniority, people who go to other sporting events.”

These responses will shape a proposal to be sent to Glass.

The overarching theme throughout this entire process will be communication. Whether it’s at an administrative level between the students, Crimson Guard and Athletic Department, or within Assembly Hall, where a more consolidated student section would more effectively coordinate cheers, communication is paramount.

Students can become involved in this process by going to the Crimson Guard’s meetings every Wednesday, emailing them at guardc@indiana.edu or speaking with them through Twitter @iucrimsonguard or Facebook.

Next year could be the year. The students are the ones who will help shape it.

“We’re all ears,” Port said. “We’re really trying to do what’s best for every student.”