Collin Brinkhoff
ENC 2135
When I found out I would be attending FSU, I was particularly excited for two things. The freedom that comes along with college, and watching an FSU football game. However, one thing I was very anxious for was securing a ticket for a game. I came into school thinking about the terror stories my older friends would feed me about the crazy process that is getting tickets. Because the fear of not getting tickets is very common among freshmen, I decided to use this piece to emphasize what technology is necessary to securing a ticket, and having a successful game day.
When it was finally football season, I was filled with both excitement at the thought of going to the game and nerves at the possibility of sitting in my room watching the game on television, instead of cheering on the Seminoles in the Doak Campbell Stadium with my fellow Seminole classmates. The night before tickets went on sale, I made sure my electronics were on full charge and I had the tickets page saved and ready to purchase my tickets. Seminoles.com is the place to go for student tickets. Make sure you make an account on the site prior to the date the tickets go on sale, because the sign-up process takes 5-10 minutes. Although I knew the demand for the Charleston Southern tickets wouldn’t be in as high of demand as bigger games, the thought of missing my first opportunity for a game troubled me. I knew that gamedays on a college campus were filled with a high level of excitement before, during and after the game. I was ready to take part in this excitement as an of official Seminole.
When it came time to buy the tickets I was extremely nervous. I was in my friends room when I remembered I had forgotten the most important tool to acquiring my ticket, my laptop. I saw that I had five minutes till tickets came on sale. I immediately started sprinting to my dorm room where my one chance to get tickets was waiting. I scrambled for my keys in pocket as I ran through the dorm hallways. When I finally entered the room, I lunged for my desk where I expected my laptop to be waiting. However, it was nowhere to be seen. I then realized it was in my backpack back at my friend’s dorm. As I ran back to my friend’s dorm realizing how much of a dumb ass I was, I was filled with panic at the thought of missing my first game due to such a simple mistake. I arrived at my friend’s house then, after surviving the waves of abuse from my friends I made it to my backpack where I rummaged for my laptop. I whipped open my laptop dangerously fast and logged into the Seminole ticket page. Then after help from my friends, I was able to acquire my first FSU football ticket. I was filled with an ever-growing excitement in the days up to game day.
That next week flew by as I eagerly waited for Saturday, and before I knew it the weekend was already there. My friends and I spent our Friday planning out our weekend as we typically did, and proceeded along with our days. When classes were finished we all met up and began to hang out and play FIFA. One of the main points of discussion was about how excited everyone was about the football game. Although all my friends had already been to several games, they were also very excited to experience their first game from the same student section that often time their family before them has cheered in. For all of us it was more than just a game. We were participating in a right of way that hundreds of thousands of Seminoles before us had taken part in. It was one more step for us in joining the Seminole Family. I knew that it was getting close to gameday in part due to the constant stream of garnet shirts around campus, but also due to the surge of Seminole related football post on nearly all of my social media accounts. It seemed like the whole campus was breathing with a Seminole spirit. It was in this moment I knew that I had chosen the right school.
Our Friday night proceeded as planned and when night finally came we were ready to hit the town. This might not have been the best idea, due to the fact that the game was at noon the next day. I awoke the following morning to the sound of my suitemates talking and my roommate getting ready to leave. Confused I looked at my phone and saw that it was already 11:30. This meant that I had to get ready in a flash to guarantee that I make it to the game on time. In a nervous haste, I quickly showered and got dressed before running to a friend’s house to make sure I got a ride to the game.
When I arrived at the game my stomach was trembling with excitement at beautiful view that lay before me. I was used to seeing Doak Campbell stadium during my many trips around campus, however never have I seen the waves of garnet flowing through the gates. Which brings me to my next vital tip. Remember to bring your phone to the game fully charged. Having your phone is vital because one of the easiest ways to have your tickets for the game is to have them sent to your phone. You also want your phone so you can view and add to all the social media surrounding the game. After passing the entrance we made our way to our seats. When we found the correct section I walked through the tunnel to the stands to the most beautiful scene of my life. Packing the stadium was Seminole fans of all varieties all dressed in garnet. I felt like I was living in a movie scene. After finding a seat near some friends, we eagerly awaited the start of the game. I was talking to my friends when I heard the sound of the Seminole War Chant. I looked to the field where I saw chief Osceola run in on his horse renegade and put his spear in the middle of the field. This site gave me chills, as I was waiting my whole life for this moment. The rest of the game flew by in a surreal way leaving me speechless and ready to go again the following week.