Students get old seating section back

The voice of the student body apparently spoke louder than the actions of a former athletic director, as the student section for football games has been changed back to its location prior to last season.\nWhat was once part of former athletic director Michael McNeely's master plan--to have the band and the students seated behind the endzone in order to make more main bleacher seats available, which would lead to more revenue -- has been opposed since the day it was announced.\n"Why we did it in the first place, I'll never know," senior associate athletic director Harold Mauro said. "As soon as I heard it, I knew it was wrong."\nMauro's feelings toward the change were in the majority.\nThe athletic department received enough complaints to alert the administration that something had to be done. But, as Mauro said, the students complained in their own way.\n"The students commented by not even showing up," Mauro said. "At our first game we had only around 2,000 students. And when you have 40,000 -- you do the math."\nThe decision was made to switch the sections back through a series of meetings that began as early as mid-December, said Gavin Lang, assistant director of media relations. Involved in those meetings were the marketing and ticketing departments, as well as interim Athletic Director J. Terry Clapacs, Mauro, associate athletic director of marketing Mary Ann Rohleder, associate athletic director of facilities Chuck Crabb and Kit Klingelhoffer, who is in charge of game management.\n"It was done in response to the feedback," Lang said. "Many people wanted to be back in the main stands."\nAlong with the students having their seats changed, the band was moved back to the east \nbleachers.\nWhen McNeely's regime was in power, he made the decision, as part of the master plan, to move the Marching Hundred to the endzone in order to amplify its sound in the stadium. \n"I think it's fantastic," said senior Rob Blatchford, former president of Tau Beta Sigma, a band fraternity. "The students felt their input wasn't taken."\nWith the change of seats comes the relief from flying footballs which frequent the endzone sections after point-after-touchdowns and field goals. Some band members said it was difficult to watch out for footballs while playing expensive and sometimes big horns. \nCurrent Tau Beta Sigma President junior Devon Fegen said the band will be really excited.\n"There was a lot of unhappiness," she said. "There were a lot of complaints because of footballs into the fans."\nTheir safety wasn't the only concern. Being fans themselves, the band was disappointed with the poor view of the field they had, as well as the lack of interaction between the fans and the band, said Kappa Kappa Psi President junior Tom Mason.\n"I think it's great," Mason said. "We'll be able to see the game better."\nMauro said he was and still is a strong advocate of having the student section where it was before the move. When he was a center on the 1964 IU Rose Bowl team, Mauro said he appreciated the students watching him.\n"Without students, we don't have sports," he said.\nIn order to bring the popularity of the sport back to IU, Mauro said the athletic department needs to make the students feel wanted. \n"We continue to want their input and get them back in the stadium," he said. "They give the momentum, and that's a huge advantage."\nMauro said the team will get out on campus and try to win back students by talking to them before and after practices. There is an idea for the football team to serve dinner to incoming freshmen. \n"We needed to move the students back to the stands," Mauro said. "(They) are the spirit of the team"