Campout for tickets to the men’s basketball home game against UNC-Chapel Hill saw record attendance this year, and overall proceedings went relatively smoothly. However, prior to the event there were several severe breakdowns in communication between the Student Senate Campus Community Committee, Student Body President Bobby Mills and Student Affairs. These issues need to be resolved for future Campouts, or the event could lose its significance as a University tradition.

This year 3,200 individuals registered to participate in the Campout, but when the Campus Community Committee decided in a meeting Wednesday night to award tickets to all students who attended the event, the following day Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford stepped in to voice his disapproval. According to Campus Community Chair Jay Dawkins, Stafford maintained there should be a 50-50 split between tickets given out through Campout and tickets awarded through the online lottery as in past years.

Dawkins explained that disagreements on the issue stemmed from the administration’s view of Campout as simply a fun event. This contrasted the committee view that it should be a way to maximize ticket opportunities. While Campout should be enjoyable for participants, it is clear the event’s main purpose is to ensure diehard fans get the tickets they deserve. This event should be more than a communal sleepover.

Mills, who helped facilitate the interchange of sentiments between Stafford and the committee, said he recommended the number of tickets at Campout be cut to 2,500, thus allowing some slots to be reserved for individuals who participate in Ram Roast or were forced to miss the Campout due to extenuating circumstances. The fact remains that receiving a ticket is not a right, but a privilege. Those that are willing to make sacrifices and put in the most effort should reap the benefits.

The Campout is more than just a meaningless relic of the past; it is a way to ensure true fans get the best tickets to one of the biggest games of the year. Thankfully for this year, all issues were resolved in time and around 2,800 students received tickets at Campout. However, in the future there needs to be a clear and open exchange of information between Student Government and administrative officials so deserving fans don’t get the short end of the stick.