Students camp out for Griz-Cat tickets

The University Center had the same feeling of anticipation as New Year’s Eve. Instead of waiting for midnight, everyone was eagerly watching for the numbers on the digital clock to flash 6 p.m. on Sunday.

At 5:59 p.m., The Source employees watched the clock, and one of the students standing in line yelled, “One minute.” As the clock switched to 6 p.m., the first Griz Card was swiped. After reaching the front of the line, students cheered, high-fived and performed little dances as they got their student tickets and guest passes to the Griz-Cat football game happening this Saturday.

The first three students in line had been at the UC for 18 hours before they got their tickets. Sophomores Cody Putzier and Alex Wigger made plans a week ago to meet at the UC at midnight on Saturday night.

“We wanted to be here early enough to get tickets,” Wigger said. “Instead of getting up early, we’ll just not go to sleep.”

Putzier was in the UC when it closed at midnight Saturday night, and was asked to leave, he said. He had to wait inside the breezeway between the set of entry doors. While Wigger was on his way to meet Putzier, he bumped into a friend, freshman Kelcie Wampler who was leaving the UC after watching “The Dark Knight.” They both joined Putzier in the breezeway.

Wampler was planning on lining up for tickets at about 1 a.m. Sunday.

They set up camp in the breezeway and waited nine hours for the UC to open. To pass the time they watched funny movies on You
Tube.com and CollegeHumor.com until Wampler’s computer battery died. Then they read Wigger’s comics and at some point during the early morning got about an hour of sleep.

“Since we were in that little cubby and not outside, it wasn’t so bad,” Wigger said.
Lining up at midnight was crucial in getting their guest passes.

“That’s what’s making it all worth it,” Putzier said.

By 10 a.m. the first floor of the UC was filled with students, and the second floor was about half full with more arriving every minute. Students sat on blankets and pillows while doing homework and playing games. A few students even carted their TVs to the UC to entertain themselves until 6 p.m. Sophomore Jacee Lautenschlager, who was first in line on the second floor with her three friends, brought a football to throw around in case they got sick of doing homework.

Next to The Source, the Grizzly lacrosse team was selling shirts for the Cat-Griz game reading, “Brawl of the Wild” on the front. Assistant Coach Michael Chase said the money from the football shirts would help fund the lacrosse team’s trips to away games.

Ticket-distribution volunteers handed out free Coca-Cola to students on the first floor. Throughout the day students in line were allowed to leave to get food.

Senior Tyler Hare said this new system of distributing the tickets is better than the lock-in two years ago, “but why couldn’t they have sold (the tickets) at noon?” he asked. “Then we could’ve gone to Lady Griz.”

All students on the first floor got a red star stamped on their hand in case of a fire and the building had to be evacuated. Then, it would be clear who was on the first floor, said Jennifer Neville, a Source employee. The first 400 students in line got purple wristbands and first choice at guest passes. The Source had six employees working the three wedges.

“So hopefully (ticket distribution will) go three times as fast,” Neville predicted.

Source employees had help from more than 175 volunteers, who automatically got a student ticket for putting in their time.

At about 5:35 p.m., students on the first floor had their belongings packed up and were now standing instead of relaxing on the floor.

“I don’t know why everyone is bustling, there’s still 25 minutes to go,” Wigger said. “Nothing is happening yet.”

After getting a ticket and guest pass, Putzier was going to “go home and crash,” he said.

With 15 minutes to go, the first, second and third floors of the UC were filled with students. They spilled into the North and South Ballrooms on the third floor.

Once tickets started being distributed, Source employees and volunteers had to keep people in line and control the amount of students at the Source desk at any one point.

“People will do anything to get this ticket,” said Alex Gosline, ASUM business manager and Source employee. His job Sunday evening was to keep students in an organized line and prevent cutting.

By 7 p.m., the 400 guest passes were sold out. Cheers and hollers filled the UC as students on the second floor made their way to the first floor, getting closer to their tickets.

While the line of students moved along, 12 or 15 of the football players – mostly the freshman class on the team – made their way down the line thanking students for waiting to get tickets for the big game.

“We’re appreciating the fans for coming out here,” said Trumaine Johnson, a freshman football player. “I didn’t know there were so many fans, to tell the truth.”
When T0he Source and the UC closed at midnight Monday there were 200 of the 3,300 student tickets left. They were sold out by 9 a.m. Monday.

amy.faxon@umontana.edu