Spring graduates have until tomorrow to pick up guest tickets for the May 14 commencement ceremonies.

Tickets can be picked up at the Convocation Center box office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow. Each graduate is limited to 10 tickets.

“If they haven’t picked up their tickets by Wednesday, we assume they don’t want them,” said Sheri Voss, commencement coordinator for the Convo.

Tickets that are not picked up during the allotted time are then offered to late additions to the ceremony. Late additions are made regularly, as some students fulfill graduation requirements later than usual. Requests for these tickets can be made by e-mail at [email protected] with the student’s name, college and number of tickets needed.

Though the number of prospective graduates who have picked up graduation tickets Monday was not available as of press time, the Convo was bustling with graduates throughout the day.

“Pick-up is going well,” said Kevin Selover, marketing manager for the Convo Center. “We’ve had a steady flow of graduates all day long.”

Students can have a friend pick up their tickets, as long as they send with their friend a copy of their ID and a note authorizing the friend to take them, Voss said.

Students wanting to invite more than their allotted 10 guests post fliers, post on Web forums or take out ads in newspapers.

Monique Morris, a senior political science major, put out an ad in Monday’s issue of the Northern Star asking for extra tickets and was contacted by 10 a.m. Monday. Morris had no problem finding the five extra tickets she needed, and said she paid $5 for each ticket.

Voss said she was not aware students sometimes sell their extra tickets or buy others’ extra tickets for the ceremony.

“That’s unfortunate that they have to resort to that,” Voss said. “Tickets are supposed to be free.”

Don Henderson of the student legal aid office said buying and selling tickets that were not initially paid for would not violate any Illinois ticket scalping laws. The NIU judicial code also does not include anything regarding ticket scalping.

For those who cannot find or buy extra tickets, the two and a half hour ceremony will also be professionally videotaped and streamed live online. Order forms for either VHS or DVD copies of the ceremony is available at www.media.niu.edu.

For more information about ticket pick-up or the commencement ceremonies, visit www.niuconvo.com.