USF St Petersburg is a growing campus, with an increasing amount of student leaders and innovators graduating each semester. Individuals come from across the nation to attend our beatiful campus, with the intentions of learning from faculty with the highest degrees while earning their degree.

As a New Jersey native, I cannot say enough times how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to expand my horizon and attend this campus. I have been here for the past four years, and USF St Petersburg has become my home, my family. However, as my time as an undergraduate comes to an end, I cannot help but become disheartened. 

USF St Petersburg's Commencement Ceremony is held at the Mahaffey Theater every semester. Each semester students are given five tickets for family and friends to attend this ceremony. These students have worked tirelessly to achieve this welll-deserved milestone, yet they are forced to limit who may experience it with them. My family, for example, is struggling to decide who can fly down, who can watch my brothers, and who will recieve one of the five tickets. I have spent the past four years away from my family, although they have been there emotionally. However, on this important day, I want nothing more than for them to be there physicaly.

With this petition, we are asking USF St Petersburg administration to relocate our ceremony, which is currently scheduled on May 4, 2014 at Maheffey Theatre, to a larger location. Just minutes from our campus, Tropicana Field serves as a prime facility for students to be commended for their hard work in front to faculty, staff, but most importantly, friends and family.

I am certain I am not the only one who is presented with this problem on limited tickets. Please sign and share this petition with your family and friends in order to make this change for this Spring's graduating class and the classes of the future. USFSP is growing and it is time to embrace it and time for a change.