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Move to Joyce Center eliminates need for tickets at IU South Bend commencement
May 2, 2000
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Increasing numbers of graduates and limited seating at the Century Center led Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) students and their families to take extreme measures last year in attempts to obtain tickets to the university's graduation ceremonies.
In fact, tickets were so scarce that students used such standby excuses as "My dog ate my tickets" or "Mom washed them with my clothes" to try to pry loose a few more tickets from the IUSB Alumni Affairs Office, which coordinates graduation events. When those lines failed, some students resorted to ticket scalpers who were more than happy to take a pass on pomp and circumstance, if the price was right.
However, all of that maneuvering for graduation tickets may be a thing of the past now that IUSB is moving its graduation ceremonies, scheduled for Tuesday (May 9) at 7 p.m., to the Joyce Center.
"The move to larger facilities will allow students to invite more people," said Joann Phillips, IUSB's alumni director. "Our students work long and hard to graduate, and many people had a role along the way in helping them to achieve their degrees, so students feel they should be able to invite as many people as they want to the ceremony."
But that hasn't been the case in recent years. Last year, students were limited to four tickets for family members or friends, a number that would have dropped to three had this year's graduation been conducted at the Century Center, which has a maximum capacity of about 3,000.
With a maximum capacity exceeding 10,000, the Joyce Center offers enough room that Alumni Affairs has done away with issuing tickets altogether.
"Students and parents are thrilled when they call to request tickets and are told tickets are not required this year," said Jean Metzger, assistant director of Alumni Affairs, and the person responsible for maintaining ticket waiting lists in previous years.
Jeff Schnabel, a business management and administration major who will receive his associate's degree in May and his bachelor's degree next year, is one of those happy students.
"I think it is a good idea because students can invite more people to graduation," he said, adding that he plans to invite at least 10 family members to the event.
Angela Campbell, a dental hygiene major from South Bend, also supports the move. "It is important that all of my family can be there," said Campbell, who will have five family members in the audience on May 9.
Phillips is encouraged by the initial feedback from students and parents.
"So far, the move is making graduation a more enjoyable experience for staff, students and parents," Phillips said, adding that the move is a three-year experiment by IUSB. "The tentative plan is to hold commencement at the Joyce Center for the next three years, but we will conduct a survey after graduation this year to get the opinions of students, faculty and alumni."
During the graduation ceremonies, IUSB will posthumously award the IUSB Distinguished Alumni Award to Thomas N. Frederick, a 1970 graduate and former executive director of the St. Joseph's County Juvenile Justice Center.
An adjunct professor at IUSB for more than 20 years, Frederick spent his life helping the youth in Michiana. His efforts were recognized by the St. Joseph's County Commissioners and County Council when they voted to name the juvenile facility he worked to create the Thomas N. Frederick Juvenile Justice Center.
Frederick's wife, Pamela, will accept the award for her husband, who died in December 1999.
IUSB will confer close to 1,000 degrees this year, including more than 200 associate's degrees, more than 520 bachelor's degrees, and more than 220 master's degrees.
(Steven M. Heim, 219-237-4560, sheim@iusb.edu or Gail Mancini, 219-237-4345, gmancini@iusb.edu)