As a second-year member of Hoo Crew, I would like to respond to the two columns published February 19 regarding our policies and actions at last Saturday's game (Alex Rosemblat's "Re-evaluationg Hoo Crew policy" and Kristen Brown's "Fixing U-Hall's camping flaws"). First of all, I would like to affirm that Hoo Crew's main goal is to provide the best possible camp-out situation for the most people, and we are always open to constructive criticism to make the experience even better. However, there were several things said in yesterday's columns that were inaccurate and deserve an explanation. Because of the weather, the Duke campout and lineup were the most difficult that we have dealt with in our two seasons so far. We made the decision to line up the 2,000 (not 800) people in the Cage, because we assumed that most people would not prefer the alternative: Standing outside in the freezing rain. This arduous task was agreeably made much more difficult by the poor acoustics and cramped space; however, we had never done a lineup in the Cage before and appreciate the lessons we learned from the experience. Rosemblat's suggestions -- that we could have lined people up outside and then marched them inside, or that we could have let the people arriving after 6:00 p.m. into the Cage after the first 100 fans were let into the game -- are a bit far-fetched. It would have been a logistical nightmare to maintain order while some people were walking up the stairs to get into the game while others were walking down to try to find the end of the line. We also tried to keep everyone, inside and out, informed about what was going on at all times. We gave people our best estimates of the number of students ahead of them, and we are very sorry that some students did not get into the arena.
Rosemblat also claimed that "Hoo Crew turned a deaf ear" to students who arrived after the 6:00 p.m. deadline. In fact, we did allow students to enter the Cage 10-15 minutes after that, but we had to make a cut-off somewhere. Fans were told well in advance that they would not be allowed to have their numbered spot in line if they were not back, and most of them managed to make it in time. This has always been our policy, and, as much as we would love for everyone to arrive back on time so they can have the spot they deserve, there is just no fair way to make exceptions.
In her column, Kristin Brown complained that the 6:00 p.m. time was too early. Unfortunately, this is not something that we have control over. Facilities Management sets the time when the gates will open (earlier for the Duke game because of the weather and large crowd), and we are expected to have everyone lined up by then. Given the number of people we were lining up, 6:00 pm was as late as we could make it. Facilities, particularly Media Relations, also set the rule about the use of Onesty Hall. There are many offices in the building, and in the past, students sitting inside have blocked the hallways and stairwells. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to change this rule, and we have been told to enforce it strictly. We sit in Onesty because it is easier to run the computer, have roll calls, and answer questions inside, but we spend nights in our tent, on the same concrete as everyone else. I know that it is difficult to be outside in bad weather, but when the weather got even worse on Saturday afternoon, we granted a four-hour grace period so that people could get out of the snow. And as far as the campout length being too long, Brown must be a first-time camper, because I remember camping 16 days for Duke last year.
Overall, Hoo Crew is dedicated to trying to preserve the first come, first serve system, and all decisions were made in the best interests of student fans. Perhaps some of the reasoning behind our actions is not always clear, and we will make an effort to better communicate these reasons to students in the future. In turn, we ask that students also be more understanding of the things we are doing. We are all out there for the same reason, and it should be a good experience for all involved. Go Hoos!
(Brigitte Hoyer is a second-year student in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.)
Read More
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | YesterdayInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
SHRAUGER: McIntire’s three-year model limits opportunities for first-year students
By Alex Shrauger | 4 days agoBy pigeonholing students into commerce so early, the University violates its own mission of providing a holistic education that produces students capable of succeeding in a variety of fields.
