There are various stepping stones in life. Perhaps, one of the most important stepping stones is a college graduation. You have completed a chapter in life that will allow you to grow personally and career-wise. The joy is tremendous the semester leading up to your graduation: you choose your final classes, look back at everything you have accomplished and start applying for the process of your commenecement ceremony… BUT WAIT! You find out you only get five tickets, meaning only five people from friends, family, co workers, can come to your commencement ceremony. This is the burden a lot of USFSP students are coming across with; having to choose whom from their loved ones is able to come to their commenecement. Future graduate of USF St. Petersburg, Lorenza Navarro, will be graduating this spring semester. Navarro started a petition to move our university’s commencement ceremony to a larger venue.
1.) What is the petition about?
“I began this petition with the hopes that administration at USF St Petersburg would consider relocating its graduation ceremonies to a larger venue, starting this semester. It has traditionally been held at the Mahaffey Theater, which allows for students to receive only 5 tickets each.”
The Mahaffey at downtown Saint Petersburg:
2.) What drove you to start this petition?
“Every semester, I see students posting on the Facebook Know it All Guide asking others for extra tickets. I also have seen students request as much as $100 when they have spare tickets that they will not use. It’s ridiculous. I come from a huge family myself, and it is heartbreaking that not everyone will be able to witness what I have worked so hard to achieve for 4 years. My family is in NJ and we are struggling to decide who will fly down, who will watch my brothers, etc. They should all be able to be there, as they have all shaped me into the person that will be walking across that stage in May. It is especially ridiculous because it is not as though we do not have other options.”
3.) Have you talked to any faculty or campus personnel about the issue? If so, what have their responses been?
“I know other students have brought it up in the past. From what I’ve heard, the response has been that it’s due to our relationship with the Mahaffey. I personally decided to start the petition first so that I will have support and others behind me when I present it to those in charge of the ceremony. I understand the Mahaffey Theater used to be adequate, but we are a growing university and it is time for our commencement to grow as well. In my opinion, the graduates’ relationship with their friends and family who want to support them should be more important.”
4.) Is there a possibility that changing USFSP’s commencement location will be a reality?
“It’s certainly possible for the future. How could it not be? I only hope I am not too late for my own graduation this spring.”
One of the possible locations is the Tropicana Field, also located at downtown Saint Petersburg:
5.) From your knowledge, are there any students or campus personnel against your petition?
“Not that I know of.”
6.) About how many tickets would you need for family and friends?
Personally, I would need 8 tickets. My parents, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle, and my three younger brothers all deserve to be there. With 5 tickets, we are running into a conflict of who will stay with my brothers. They cannot stay in NJ with no supervision, and they would be forced to stay in the hotel room while I celebrate the fact that I am graduating with two degrees from a university that I love. I have spent the last 4 years away from my family working towards this. I believe that I deserve to have them around on this one day at least.
“Please consider signing this petition whether you are an USFSP alumni, graduating senior, future graduate, and even more importantly, friends or family members that would like to celebrate the achievements of a loved one. When signing, don’t forget to share your story on how the smaller venue impacts you” –Lorenza Navarro
As of today, 2/22/2014, the petition has been signed by: 342 supporters.
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