Students were disappointed with the lack of available seating for Hillary Clinton’s visit to campus Monday.

Much of the front lower section of Hendricks Chapel was roped off for a VIP area. Administrators and local officials, including Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, sat in this section.

It is disappointing that the administration did not make students aware that there would be a large section of seating unavailable to students. University officials informed students of security screenings, times doors would open and when attendees were expected to be seated. Before the event, the campus was not informed that select seating in Hendricks, near Clinton, would be unavailable.

Hendricks holds about 1,100 people, and it seems disingenuous to withhold seats from students. Other campus buildings, such as the Carrier Dome and the Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center, hold more people. These venues were already being used for Accepted Students Day.

Many were turned away from the event because of the venue’s size and the number of seats reserved for officials. When a high-ranking government figure comes to speak, university administrators and other city officials likely want to attend the event. But Clinton’s comments on national and international affairs were also of interest to students.

Administrators should have thought more about students when planning the logistics of this event. If students knew there would be limited seating, they could have made alternative plans to view the event online instead of waiting in line for two hours before being turned away.

Having the secretary of state on campus will always draw a huge crowd. Students probably would have been turned away even if Clinton were speaking in a larger auditorium, but students should have been informed how many would be able to gain a seat in Hendricks.

Published on April 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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