The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Exercise Science (EXSS) department’s graduation was recently announced to take place in Memorial Hall. Memorial Hall is significantly smaller than the Dean Smith Center, the location for previous graduation ceremonies. The reduced capacity has led the EXSS department to allow students 3 guest tickets. Ticketing the graduation ceremony introduces many problems for students and their families.

1. The ticketing process was announced incredibly late. Most families have already booked hotel rooms, taken time off work, and scheduled flights. The late announcement has caused larger families to worry that after spending hundreds of dollars to see their student graduate, they will be forced to watch via live-stream. 

2. The number of tickets (3) is creating a rift in many families and placing additional stress on students. The model makes choosing family members incredibly difficult for students from divorced, large, or non-traditional families. Students are now tasked to choose which family members can attend the ceremony, after all family members have planned to be at the ceremony. 

3. Many small campus organizations and performing arts clubs quickly sell out seats in Memorial Hall. The limited seating will present a challenge to UNC’s 6th most popular major, creating stress and hardship around a time of celebration.

As a student body we would like to propose the following locations and time slots for graduation.

Carmichael Arena: May 10, 9:30-11:30am
Carmichael Arena: May 12, 2-4pm
Dean E. Smith Center: May 9, 7-9pm