Due to the selection of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for the 2016 commencement address, Hillsdale College will have heightened security.
Collection of the Supreme Court of the United State | Courtesy
For the first time, Hillsdale College will require tickets for entry to the 2016 commencement ceremony in the Biermann Athletic Center.
Representatives from career services and student activities said because the commencement speaker — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — sits on the nation’s highest court, the college is taking a few extra measures to ensure attendees are affiliated with the college.
“Tickets and I.D.s allow us to know all of the guests attending the ceremony,” Student Activities Director Anthony Manno said. “This was a security precaution in response to Justice Thomas’ presence.”
In addition to campus security, U.S. Marshals — who regularly provide security services for Supreme Court Justices — are scheduled to be in attendance, working in conjunction with local police.
To gain access to commencement, guests must be a member of the graduating class, a guest listed as affiliated with a graduate, a current Hillsdale College student, or a staff or faculty member of the college. If non-graduating current students have guests who wish to attend, they may submit names to Manno for ticket registration.
“If someone would like to attend, they simply need a connection to Hillsdale College,” Manno said, explaining that the event will not be open to the public. “That way, we are able to track who will be attending the ceremony as well as who reserved the ticket for them.”
According to an email to graduating seniors from career services, graduates and their guests may pick up tickets at the Farewell Reception in the Grewcock Student Union between 9 p.m. and midnight on May 13 or prior to the ceremony in Grewcock between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 14.
An I.D. is required to pick up tickets for graduation. Tickets are free of charge, and there is no limit to the number of tickets a graduate may reserve.
The class of 2016 is the first class in many years to know weeks in advance the location of the commencement speaker. In previous years, graduation has occurred on the east lawn behind the Grewcock, with Biermann or the Roche Sports Complex as an alternate location in case of rain.
According to John Quint, assistant director of career services, commencement will take place in a controlled location — the Biermann Athletic Center — because attendees are required to be affiliated with a graduate, faculty, or staff member.
Graduates will use their student I.D.s to access Biermann for the ceremony.
