By Christopher Mateo

Editor-in-Chief

As graduation only being weeks away, CSU Bakersfield President Horace Mitchell has sent out an email announcing that graduates will receive five tickets for their guests to be seated in the Main Soccer Field, where the ceremony will be held.

Students will be required to present student identification or a photo identification in order to obtain tickets. Students can pick up their guest tickets in the Dezember Leadership Development Center, Castle & Cook Lounge BDC 403D. They can start picking up the tickets between May 9 and May 11, between the times of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

 If students are not able to pick tickets up personally, students can mail [email protected] with their mailing address by May 9 and ticketswill be mailed on May 10.   

Tickets will be required for every guest except for children under the age of two.

Associated Students Inc. President Alex Dominguez said he is planning to meet with Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas Wallace to discuss possible alternatives.

” ASI wasn’t consulted  in the decision making process and it was upsetting,” said Dominguez

Dominguez said when administration proposed the idea of changing the graduation protocol, one of the selling points was giving students the liberty to have unlimited guests.

According to Dominguez, he will not leave the meeting with Wallace empty-handed, and will try to negotiate the best alternative benefiting the students.

According to the email tickets will not be replaced if lost. For the guests that will not be able to be seated at the Main Soccer Field, there will be two locations where they will be able to view the ceremony. One location is the Icardo Center and the other the Softball Practice Field. In these locations there will be large screens broadcasting the ceremony.

According to the email, requiring tickets will ensure that graduates have family members seated in the Main Soccer Field and to ensure a safe and comfortable experience.

The University Police Department is prohibiting the commercializing of the tickets. A violation of this will result in a referral to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.  

The graduation ceremony will be held on May 19 at 8:00 a.m. at Main Soccer Field.