Students concerned over Tudor seating

By Jocelyn Wright     11/20/08 6:00pm

In a dramatic redistricting of Autry Court, the new student section at Tudor Fieldhouse has moved from the right courtside location to one behind the south baseline. This location, which was converted from a back gym, is out of sight of the main scoreboard, a frustration for many students who attended the first games at the fieldhouse on Saturday. Since the student section is located behind the main scoreboard, students can only see the auxiliary scoreboard, which does not display information like player statistics, Assistant Director of Athletics Chuck Pool said.

Wiess College junior Chris Fraser said he enjoyed the new isolated student section, but found it difficult to hear the music and the commentators in the student section because the speakers were not loud enough.

Pool said he was working to address these problems.

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"We had a lot of feedback in a lot of areas which you expect when you're opening a new facility with a lot of new features," Pool said. "That's why you have your period to make the alterations and get it up and running in a way that allows everyone to enjoy the game."

He said there are plans to make additions to the auxiliary scoreboard so that it would provide more detailed information.

Previously, the student section was part of a larger area on the right side of the court and the Marching Owl Band was in a separate section on the upper level. Now, the section includes a place for the MOB, as well as for approximately 1,000 students.

Pool said the section intended to include the band as well as basketball fans.

"The idea was to bring the band down courtside and to incorporate students in there," Pool said, "And [to] have one area for the student population and create a really great area for them to all be together and just ... support the team and create some energy.

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