Campus was filled with excitement last Wednesday as news hit that First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address. Now a week later, a new feeling is present — rage.

Campus was filled with excitement last Wednesday as news hit that First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the commencement address. Now a week later, a new feeling is present — rage.

Per a university delivered email, graduating seniors are now up in arms over a new mandate that requires ticket access to the commencement ceremony on May 12 in the Greensboro Coliseum.

Originally six tickets were to be allotted, however after further review from the administration, graduates now have eight tickets to dispense amongst family and friends. Previously, the ceremony was a public event.

“I was devastated when I found out,” said Sabrina Hagood, a biology major from Columbia S.C. “Graduation is not going to be the same to me at all because the past four years there has been ups and downs, and I’m finally done with a biology degree and I want all my family to be with me.”

Hagood is the first grandchild to graduate from college, and she has over 20 people that have booked to come to the ceremony. She says she has no idea how to choose who will be able to actually see her cross the stage.

This change comes only a month before graduation is set to take place — a change that JacQuetta Williams, says is untimely.

“If Michelle is causing this much of a controversay now, then I can do without her,” said the social work major from Durham. “This is my day, and I feel as though they’re making her the big show.”

Williams has about 20 family members coming to see her graduate.

This is the first time that the university has authorized a ticket requirement for a commencement of any size. The reasons for the new measure according to Nicole Pride, associate vice chancellor for university relations, is to account for security.

“With our new speaker, a lot of people from around the community want to be involved,” she said. “We want to make sure our students and their families get in first. They are the VIPs for the day.”

N.C. A&T is now working hand in hand with the White House to ensure that the coliseum is secure for the first lady’s arrival. They had to create and submit a seating diagram to secret service for approval.

The Greensboro Coliseum has a seating capacity of over 20,000, however due to the stage set-up, seats for the graduates, faculty, golden-year graduates, as well as distinguished guests that number is decreased.

According to Pride, there are now 15,000 seats available for guests. The majority, 12,000, will be for guests of the students, and then 3,000 will be split between faculty, staff, alumni, and the Greensboro community. As of today, the process of distribution of tickets to the community has not been determined.

Over 1,000 students are set to graduate in May, and for many of them, eight is still not enough.

“I feel like it should be ticketed because of who our speaker is,” said Brittny Johnson, a sports science major from Wilmington, N.C. “However there has to be more tickets because I have people who have worked overtime, [hours] they didn’t have to work just so they can come to my graduation.”

Outraged by a decision, Synnaman Bingham, a senior psychology major from Chicago took it upon herself to start a petition against the ticket allotment.

After researching ways to get signatures fast, Bingham found the web site www.change.org to house her cause. This site is designed to connect people through the Internet for an electronic petition sheet.

“I saw how upset the seniors were about this decision,” Bingham said. “So I decided to do something to get the university’s attention.”

So far over 400 people have penned their name to the web site. Bingham says she hopes the university takes heed to what the students want.

“My mom is very upset over the decision,” she said. “She already has her plane and hotel booked, and she doesn’t want to call my other family members and tell them that they can’t come anymore.”

Bingham has about 15 family members coming from Chicago for graduation. They all have booked their travel arrangements.

“I signed the petition and I think that it’s good that the students are unified,” said Williams. “Hopefully they hear us.”

SGA president Christian Robinson says that he has been voicing the concerns of the students to the administration.

“My job is to be here for the students,” he said. “When I was in those meetings, I made sure I let them know what the students were saying.”

After the increase of tickets, Robinson says that it is a step in the right direction.

“This is progression,” he said. “It’s really a move in the right step.”

Although Robinson expresses his happiness for the increase, he says he understands that students will probably never be satisfied with having to choose who can come to the ceremony.

“Nothing is ever going to be satisfactory with the students I assume,” he said. “But I’m grateful for this progression.”

There will be a meeting with chancellor Harold Martin on April 9 at 7 p.m. in Corbett Sports Center for students to voice their concerns regarding commencement.

[email protected] and follow her on Twitter @Kelcie_McCrae

• Kelcie C. McCrae, Editor-in-Chief