The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma has officially moved commencement inside for May 3. Due to the overabundance of rain and the forecast for rain on Saturday morning, the call was made at roughly 12 p.m. by the members of the Commencement Committee with consultation from President Kayla Hale. The call to move commencement inside was made earlier this year than last year.
USAO’s student body received an email informing the soon to be graduates and the rest of the campus with little to no information.
Commencement was intended to be outside in the south part of the Oval, but has now been moved into Te Ata Memorial Auditorium in Troutt Hall. A live stream of the ceremony will be held in the Davis Hall Amphitheatre for any guests on campus who do not have tickets.
Each graduating student will receive only three tickets. They will be given the tickets during rehearsal on Friday, May 2.
There was an email sent out by Chelsea Phillips to the graduates at 12:08 p.m. to inform them firstly that commencement was being moved. In the same email, Phillips announced that there were a limited number of extra tickets available.
The graduates had the chance of getting two extra tickets if they responded to the email promptly, because they were on a first-come, first-served basis. By 12:29 p.m. all the extra tickets were claimed.
Commencement 2024 was also moved inside due to weather, but the graduates were given five tickets instead of three tickets. There could be many reasons why there are fewer tickets to be given out this year.
2024 graduates banded together and shared tickets where they could. Many graduates hope this is the case again.
Whatever the outcome may be, commencement 2025 will be interesting, exciting, and one to remember.
Cassie Srock is a second-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
