No ticket, no graduation

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The end of the semester is getting closer and closer. Most seniors are looking forward to this day to celebrate their accomplishments at school with their loved ones. What they’re not looking forward to is scrambling for graduation tickets.

At Florida A&M University, students are given eight tickets and those tickets are made available one week before graduation. When students run out of access, they have the choice of asking other students for their unused tickets, or they are faced with the unfortunate task of turning away their loved ones.

Zion Lampley, political science senior, graduating in the Spring of 2022 believes that tickets should be distributed equally among graduates so that all of their loved ones can experience their special day. Lampey is also working diligently to make sure that the future graduating students have the option to invite all of their family members.

“The allotted number of 8 graduation tickets Fall 2021 graduates received is not enough for the number of siblings I have,” Lampley said. “I am definitely in favor of FAMU getting away from ticket restrictions; tensions around COVID seemed to ease during homecoming week. The football game was packed, the concert was packed, coronation, NPHC Greek step show.”

“Currently, I am the senator in the 51st Student Senate, and serving as the Judicial and Rules Vice Chairman,” he added. “I am the author of SR22SP-005, Graduates Deserve More Graduation Tickets. I am working closely with the student body president to get the ticket amount increased before I graduate!”

Other FAMU students agree that FAMU need to do away with graduation ticket restrictions because some of them have large families. They find it unfair that they have to pick who gets to see them graduate in person and who has to stay home and watch them graduate virtually.

Branielle Edmonds, also a graduating student at FAMU, has a large family as well. Unfortunately, if she doesn’t get more than the eight tickets that are provided, she will have to face the task of telling her loved ones who have supported her throughout the years that they will have to celebrate with her from afar. The thought of not having all of her loved ones there is an upsetting thought and has given her anxiety.

“I feel like it’s their unfair I think that it’s a breach of our relationship with the university because it should be no reason to why we are told to come in four years to graduate and when it comes time for people that we need to be celebrated with, they can’t come in because we’re limited to the tickets that can be given,” she said.