Grads-to-be seek tickets for Bush talk

The (Morning) Advocate ^ | 28 April 2004 | Will Sentell

[Darlin']

Advocate staff photo by Arthur D. Lauck
LSU students Celeste Matte of Abbeville and Lenny Moss of Baton Rouge, both at right, prepare for a statistics exam while waiting for extra tickets, along with a long line of other students, for their May 21 commencement ceremony. President George Bush is scheduled to deliver the commencement address, which boosted demand for tickets
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LSU student Tiffany Popps of Melville was in line at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to snag an extra ticket to hear President Bush's commencement speech next month. Bush's decision to speak at the spring graduation ceremony May 21 triggered a minirun on tickets.

Candidates for graduation, who were first told they would get four tickets each, later saw that allocation trimmed to three, in part for security reasons.

Extra tickets -- one per graduate -- were offered at the LSU Union at 10 a.m. Tuesday on a first-come, first-served basis.

Popps said she was delighted when she heard Bush would be coming.

"I found out when I was student teaching," she said.

"I let out a yell," she added. "I am really excited about it. I can't wait to hear what he has to say."

Popps, 23, said three of her tickets will go to her parents and an aunt.

The fourth one, which is why she was in line, is a surprise "for a special friend who loves President Bush," she said.

Others in the line of about 65 students used the down time waiting for tickets to do some last-minute studying on the floor of the Union lobby.

Lenny Moss of Baton Rouge said he skipped a morning statistics class to get ready for an exam in the same course at 3:30 p.m. Moss, 23, said he was surprised when he heard the president was coming.

"I was like, what?" he said. "I was happy, thrilled, total elation," he said.

Jennifer Nistor, 29, said Bush's appearance is the only reason she decided to attend the main ceremony, which is separate from the smaller gatherings around campus that day where most graduates actually get their diploma.

Nistor is getting a master's degree in social work.

"How many times do you get to hear the president speak?" Nistor asked.

Nicholas LeBlanc of Baton Rouge, 22, said he could use eight extra tickets if he could get them.

"I am a huge supporter," LeBlanc said of Bush. "I like his initiatives, how he is aggressive in Iraq," he said.

Jason Sharbonno of Metairie, another Bush supporter, said he was surprised to hear that some students and faculty plan to boycott the president's appearance.

"It's good recognition for the school," he said of Bush's speech. "If it was (former President) Clinton, I would come hear him speak just to hear what he has to say."

Carruth McGehee, president of the LSU Faculty Senate, said Tuesday that, while he would not be surprised if there were protests inside or outside the center, he is not aware of any organized efforts by teachers to avoid the ceremony.

Ian Stanford, 22, said that, because of a mixup, he missed his initial chance to get three tickets before last week's deadline. He said his father and stepmother are coming to the ceremony from San Francisco as well as a brother who lives in town.

Stanford, who will graduate with a degree in mass communication, said his personal pleas to officials in the LSU Registrar's Office on Monday failed to produce any tickets.

"I actually heard somebody is selling them for $45 each," he said.

The Pete Maravich Assembly Center, site of the main ceremony, will hold about 9,400 people for the ceremony, LSU Registrar Robert Doolos said. Bush is tentatively set to address the ceremony shortly after 10 a.m.

About 3,200 students will graduate that day. Additional tickets are available until 5 p.m. Friday or until they run out.

Frances Martin, from Zachary, said she initially planned to skip the main ceremony and collect her degree in elementary education at 4:30 p.m. that day at the education school's ceremony.

Her three tickets are going to her husband and parents. She hoped to get one more for an uncle, a big Bush fan, who is coming from Mexico.

The first in line Tuesday was Crystal Permenter of Arcadia, who turned 21 Tuesday and said she was out partying until 3 a.m. Permenter was at the box office at 6:45 a.m. to stake out a spot for friend Brady Wax of Denham Springs, who showed up later.

"It was just me and the workers," Permenter said of her early arrival.

Wax, who will graduate with a degree in construction management, said he needed tickets for his parents. "I figured it was the least I could do," he said.

But his fervor only went so far. "I wasn't getting up at 6:45," Wax said.

[RexBeach]

"Tiffany Popps"? Holy smokes...that's some handle! Good thing her folks didn't name her "Topps"!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Darlin']

Ping :)

[Darlin']

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[biss5577]

They sure are lucky; I wonder who will be speaking at my son's graduation! We'll probably have some lib left-winger. Ugh.

[Darlin']

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[Darlin']

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[lawgirl]

The fourth one, which is why she was in line, is a surprise "for a special friend who loves President Bush," she said.

Now that's my kind of friend!

[Darlin']

Ping

[EllaMinnow]

Dick Cheney is speaking here on Saturday, at the FSU graduation. The lefties are raising a ruckus about it, as you can imagine.

[Fintan]

Good thing her folks didn't name her "Topps"!
 

Or "Cherry".

[Darlin']

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[Darlin']

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[Darlin']

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[Darlin']

"Now that's my kind of friend!"

Mine, too ! :)

[Darlin']

I'm sure they are, he scares the bejesus out of them. LOL. Dontcha luv it ?

[Darlin']

LOL.... or maybe "Boston"

[Darlin']

LOL. "Tootsie"

[Quilla]

What an honor - I wouldn't have a problem at all waiting in line for an opportunity to hear the President in person.

My daughter graduates from a small Christian school this year in a senior class of 14 students - all conservative Republicans! (I know, I checked.) I'm having a ball assisting with the festivities, though no big name speakers are scheduled (LOL). These children, who have known each other since the first grade, just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas/Cozumel. They all get along so well, I think they will be friends for life. By November, they all be casting their first votes - for President Bush.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Condi Rice is going to Michigan State, I think.