Cornell Concert Commission’s policy on ticket scalping and buying for the Avicii concert raised ire among students when it should not have even raised an eyebrow.
After tickets to the upcoming Avicii concert went on sale, many students were surprised to see that they could only purchase two tickets. The new rules also stipulated that the ticket buyer must accompany her guest and provide a Cornell ID for either person to be admitted to the show.
This angered entrepreneurial Cornellians because, unlike most previous concerts, students were not able to buy up to four tickets and sell them for a profit to whomever. While this anger is understandable, it is unjustified considering the circumstances.
As The Sun reported, Avicii’s representatives and the Cornell Concert Commission agreed that only Cornellians would be allowed to buy tickets. Avicii requested the procedure and it seems likely that Avicii prefered a closed show to help increase ticket sales for his concerts at other nearby venues. CCC enacted temporarily more stringent ticket-sales rules to limit the number of non-Cornellians in attendance. And it’s a good thing they did.
The anger that would have resulted from Cornell denying this request surely would have topped the disappointment many of us felt after waking up before 9 a.m. to snatch up multiple tickets only to be denied. Imagine hearing the news that Cornell could have hosted one of the biggest names in popular music, but was rejected because the CCC refused to only sell tickets to Cornellians.
This “new policy,” as some students have called it, is in fact not a policy at all. Instead, it is a rare occurrence. The performer made a request with which Cornell complied in an attempt to bring the most enjoyment to as many students as possible.
Instead of being criticized, Cornell Concert Commission should be recognized for taking this reasonable and utilitarian approach. Rather than making tickets more difficult to acquire, the temporary policy ensures that students have access to CCC event tickets.