By Amrit Brown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The primary location for Hood College\u2019s 2025 Commencement ceremonies has been moved to Woodsboro Bank Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The change comes as a response to issues with weather in the past, including rain and severe heat. It also includes a change to two separate ceremonies for undergraduate and graduate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision was made by the commencement committee with the approval of the senior team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inside ceremony will still include families, but students will receive a limited number of tickets, according to the Vice President for Marketing and Communications Laurie Ward. She is unsure of the specific number at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For families that cannot attend because of the smaller number of tickets, the AV equipment has been upgraded to improve the live-stream quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0James Gruenfelder, a senior at Hood, is frustrated by the change. \u201cMy bigger family planned to come out and watch the ceremony as I will be the first college graduate in my family,\u201d he said. \u201cI am upset at the school for this decision. It seems every year they remove more and more from our college experience. I understand that this move can be for \u2018weather control,\u2019 but it is not necessary if the weather is nice,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past, Woodsboro Bank Arena was the backup option in case of problems with the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other students have already had reactions to the decision. \u201cWe have heard from about 10 students and those concerns have been forwarded to the commencement committee to review to see if the plans can be altered,\u201d Ward said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gruenfelder was hoping to have an outside ceremony. \u201cFor the past three years, I\u2019ve seen the ceremony set up outside and it looks great,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was something I was looking forward to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"