One of the best aspects of Washington University is that it is home to a dizzying array of diverse people who love to plan programs, events and shows for the student body to enjoy. Over the past several years, however, our campus has found itself mired in a puzzling and quite painful system of getting tickets to one show in particular: Diwali, the annual South Asian cultural program put on by Ashoka. The first big cultural show of the year, Diwali’s popularity is matched only by the frenzy surrounding its ticket sales.

The system of “camping out” for Diwali tickets most likely evolved from a need to institute a strong first-come, first-serve policy for those who wanted to see the show. And while camping overnight in the drafty, unlocked first floor of Mallinckrodt Center has always been an unpleasant task, students have borne it without much complaint.

The question is, why? For residential advisers in particular, getting multiple tickets—up to 10—for freshmen is something they have come to expect, which is why RAs are always the first people in line behind the ticket booth, sometimes a full 15 hours before the box office even opens. And when it comes to regular students who want to see the show, they too must join the freezing ranks in Mallinckrodt, except they can only purchase three tickets each. We are not suggesting these purchasing limits change; it’s safe to say, however, that even the RAs earliest to arrive on the scene want a different system.

We ask that Ashoka and Edison Theatre investigate new options to make this process easier. Online ticket sales would not only be a more convenient but also more fair way for all those who want to get tickets. Consider setting aside a fixed number of tickets for RAs to purchase so they can still get blocks of seats for their residents while also allowing the general student body to have access. Furthermore, while this might stir protest from participants, Ashoka might want to consider guaranteeing two, instead of the standard three tickets each, to Diwali participants in future shows. Barring the possibility of online ticket sales, we suggest camping out in Mallinckrodt be restricted to just two or three hours before tickets go on sale on Nov. 5.

Above all, we urge Ashoka and the student body to seriously reconsider this “tradition” of attaining tickets. Several hours wasted on tile floors in Mallinckrodt’s freezing halls are enough to convince any student that this adherence to an old status quo is certainly not the best way to see a performance.

With almost exactly one month to the performance date, we commend the work Ashoka has already done to make this program as great as it is annually reputed to be; implement real change to this system of ticket sales, and there will be a truly flawless performance.