Graduation season is approaching but guest tickets are limited. Seniors are scrambling all over campus to find extra tickets at all costs.
Fall 2023 Commencement is set to take place Dec. 18-19 at the Provident Credit Union Center, according to a San José State website.
Each registered student may claim six tickets for guests after they have registered for their ceremony, and the tickets are only valid for the ceremony that is listed, according to the same site.
According to the same site, between both days of commencement, there will be five different graduation ceremonies. To attend multiple ceremonies, guests must buy separate tickets for each event.
Biological sciences senior An Pham said she is graduating this semester, and thinks the graduation ticket limit makes sense and seems fair.
“Think about a concert,” Pham said. “The venue has a seat limit so obviously there has to be a ticket limit. Giving each student the same amount ensures fairness and order in a fairly big event.”
Pham said it's also about logistics and crowd control.
“The school needs an estimate of how many people will show up to prepare for parking, lines and hiring enough staff for the event,” she said. “Imagine a staff only able to handle a thousand people but then five thousand show up. How chaotic would that be."
Forensic science senior Adriana Loya said she is going to graduate at the end of the semester and she doesn't agree with the limited number of tickets available.
Loya said guests shouldn't even have to buy tickets. She said the university should figure out a way to have the graduation ceremony at a bigger venue so everyone can bring all of their loved ones.
She said she understands that there is a livestream link for family and friends to watch the ceremony from home, but she thinks watching from a computer link isn’t the same as being there in person.
“I come from a huge, tight-knit Mexican family, therefore they all want to see me graduate from college,” Loya said. “I'll be the first in my family to graduate from a university.”
Loya said she has the theory of it being a safety issue and a hazard being the reason why there is a limit on tickets.
She said "It's a good thing that some students are willing to give their colleagues’ family an opportunity to attend the graduation by selling or giving away tickets. She said however, I don't agree with students going overboard charging a fortune for extra tickets.
“Depending on the cost, I don't mind buying tickets from other students who may be selling their extra ones because I want all my loved ones there to celebrate this accomplishment,” she said.
SJSU Alumna Tania Torres said she wasn’t fond of the limitation on tickets when she graduated in 2018.
Torres said she was fortunate that her family and friends were willing to drive or fly to attend her graduation, but were unable to attend because of the limit on tickets.
“I graduated in a city that my family isn't from, and plus I have so much family so I do think it's unfortunate that there is a limit on graduation tickets,” Torres said.
Torres said it’s understandable that there is a limit on how many people can attend each graduation ceremony.
She said however it's “complete B.S.” for students who don't need all six tickets to be overcharging people and trying to make a profit at a really important moment in a person's life.
Torres said she can understand that there are many students who want to take the opportunity to make money, but she doesn't like it.
“It says a lot about your character to try to capitalize financially based on a really important milestone in people's life,” Torres said.
