Florida A&M announced earlier this week that it will proceed with in-person graduation ceremonies starting Friday, Dec. 10. at the Registrar’s Office sent graduating seniors an email regarding all information and links needed for Fall 2021 graduation.
Each graduate will be given four tickets that will be available for download the week of Dec. 6. Those unable to attend in person graduation will be able to stream the commencement ceremony on FAMU’s YouTube channel and FAMU’s Facebook live.
However, as graduation approaches seniors have mixed feelings regarding ticket availability. After three semesters of remote learning, seniors deserve a better send off. Many have anticipated in-person graduation since the success of Spring 2021 in-person commencement in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Ivy Gray, a graduating public relations major, said, “I feel as though four tickets is not enough. There needs to be more tickets given that the school of journalism is a smaller school, and Al Lawson has more than 9,000 seats, yet the homecoming concert is supposed to be in Al Lawson and there are not any restrictions.” Some argue that since homecoming is able to happen with few enforced restrictions, the restrictions on limited tickets should be lifted.
After missing last year’s homecoming and confirming this year’s homecoming, FAMU is expected to be jam-packed for homecoming festivities that don’t include ticket restrictions.
Due to FAMU being one of few HBCUs still having full homecoming events; the concert is expected to sell out with attendees from various other HBCUs.
“I don’t think there should be a graduation ticket restriction,” Drea Montgomery, a graduating biology pre-dentistry major said. “It seems very hypocritical of FAMU to host homecoming knowing there will be an overwhelming amount of visitors coming, many not vaccinated, and also knowing there will be unmasked visitors. To say that we can only invite four guests to attend one of the most important days of our lives is really disheartening.”
Other concerns are those whose household may have more than four members. “Four tickets won’t even cover my immediate family. It’s very discouraging that I completed four years of my education and my full family won’t be able to attend and support ticket restrictions. It’s like the school values homecoming because ticket sales for the concert bring in money whereas graduation is merely a home-going service for students with zero profit from the ceremony,” said Delores Battle, a graduating public relations major.
While some students are hopeful that rules may change after homecoming festivities, others plan to abide by the current set rules. For more information regarding Fall 2021 graduation and checklists developed by the Registrar’s Office check here: http://www.famu.edu/students/commencement/index.php