The point of a line is to get to the end of it. The point of K-ville, line monitors and basketball line-up policies is to support the basketball team and to get students into basketball games—it’s not strictness and format for the sake of format.

In recent weeks, the Duke Basketball office, in conjunction with Head Line Monitor Zach White, has proposed a series of changes that go a long way toward putting this principle into practice.

There are three major changes to line-up policy.

First, there will be six themed basketball games this Fall. Each undergraduate class, plus greeks and athletes, will have 600 reserved seats in Cameron Indoor Stadium for one night, on the model of Senior Night.

Second, as opposed to the old system in which students could wait in the walk-up line in groups of up to six, groups of 30 will now be allowed.

Third, tenting will start Jan. 30, and no one can begin tenting before that date.

Clearly none of these changes is a revolution, and they will not alone fix the problem of lagging attendance at games. But each one is sensible and helpful.

First, the themed nights are a good way to interest many students who usually do not go to basketball games. And because the first 300 seats are available to all regardless of affiliation, no dedicated student who is not a member of a given group will be denied admission to one of these games.

The themed night that has drawn the most attention is Greek Night. This event is not an undue privilege to greeks. It is not even much of a privilege, because it simply involves a potential 600 reserved seats for a marginally important game.

Greeks probably care more about being able to sit on the non-TV side of Cameron than having their own reserved night. But this themed night is a good attempt to excite a group of students who seem to be interested in sports but do not generally attend basketball games.

Second, allowing groups of 30 to join the walk-up line will make it easier for large groups of students, especially selective living groups, to go to games. These large groups will enliven rather than disrupt the walk-up line.

That said, there is no reason why groups of any size up to 30 should not also be admitted.

The third proposal, which pushes back the start of tenting, is the most important.

In the past, several groups have started tenting in late December, and most have started in early January. This new policy will make tenting less extreme, more accessible for students who are rushing and more attractive to upperclassmen.

It is easy to see how some would think that this uniform start date will cut into the “meritocracy” of K-ville. As written right now, it would. But it doesn’t need to.

On Jan. 30, all tents should sign up for tenting in no particular order. They are just tents, not ranked. Then, until the UNC game, tents should be measured and ranked on the basis of games their members have attended (including selected women’s games) and tent checks missed.

Just before the UNC game, tents will be placed in an order and admitted to the game based on their demonstrated commitment to Duke basketball. This system will still be a meritocracy, but it will reward going to games rather than sleeping in the mud.

None of these policy changes is as important to attendance as an exciting team. But none will significantly harm any committed fan. And each will make K-Ville more fun, more manageable and more focused on basketball.

Line Monitors Dan Romero and Austin Boehm recused themselves from this editorial.