Belonging to a student organization isnot just for pumping up a resume or filling free time anymore. Itnow can be a student’s ticket to football games — literally.
    Student organizational seating isnothing new.
    For years, members of registered studentorganizations have been eligible to purchase football seasontickets in reserved group seating.
    What some may not know is these studentshave the option of buying not just one set of tickets, but two fullsets.
    This year, the Ticketing Office issued3,558 total ticket sets to student organizations.
    But, only 2,104 students actually makeup those organizations.
    Michelle Lowery, assistant director ofthe Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, said interestedstudent organizations must attend an informational meeting in thespring, where they receive information and applications for groupseating tickets.
    Lowery said the Center then checks themembers’ eligibility — all students must be full time andregistered for the fall semester — then they give organizations aweek to submit their total number of desired tickets.
    After they have collected all the ticketrequests, Lowery said the Center submits the information and theseating preferences to the Ticketing Office.
    Lowery said group seating studenttickets are $77 for the season. Organization members also have theoption of purchasing non-student tickets for $252 for theseason.
    The Ticketing Office issued 57non-student ticket sets this year for guests of students.
    Brian Broussard, ticket manager of theTicketing Office, said although any organization can purchasetickets, Greek organizations primarily buy two sets.
    Kappa Sigma fraternity, for example, has86 members and ordered 186 tickets.
    Kappa Sigma President Michael Busadasaid whether the ticket goes to a member’s date or to a freshman,they try to make sure no ticket goes unused, especially because somany freshmen did not receive tickets this year.
    Busada said he believes all studentorganizations feel wasting a ticket would be unfair and an insultto any student who did not get a ticket.
    ”We shouldn’t even be having thisconversation, anyway, because any student that pays tuition shouldbe allowed to watch their classmates play on Saturday night,”Busada said.
    Sigma Chi fraternity ordered 200 totalticket sets — the most out of any Greek organization.
    Sororities also purchase extra tickets,though not as many as fraternities.
    Adam Pollet, a Latin and Philosophyjunior and member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, said he and hisgirlfriend, who is in a sorority, took advantage of theiropportunity to buy an extra set of tickets.
    ”Between us two, we have four,” Polletsaid.
    In other student organizations, theprimary purpose of getting the additional set of tickets is so theextra seats can go to freshmen that join the following year.
    Dawson Bean, a campus minister for theCampus Crusade for Christ, said 15 students purchased ticketsthrough the organization, and most wanted to buy the secondset.
    But, if a member is not interested inpurchasing the second set of tickets, the organization will pay forthe member to get the second set, Bean said.
    This year 15 CCC members ordered ticketsand 30 student ticket sets were issued.
    Bean said the surplus tickets usually goto incoming freshmen, often as an appreciation gift forparticipating in the organization.
    The Baptist Collegiate Ministry has asimilar practice.
    Steve Masters, director of BCM, said 118students purchased tickets this year through the BCM and almost allof the students bought two sets. BCM received 234 ticket sets.
    Masters said some of the tickets thencan be given to freshmen who do not have tickets or who want to sitin the reserved seating with the group.
    ”It has been a great experience for ourstudents to sit together and do activities together before thegame,” Masters said.
    But, Masters said he understands somemight question the fairness of giving students the option of buyingtwo sets in a year when so many freshmen did not get tickets.
    ”It is a very legitimate question,”Masters said.
    He said BCM was ordering two tickets permember when there were enough tickets available.