Dean José Bowen met with a large group of Meadows School of the Arts students Monday to hear concerns regarding the movement of the Meadows graduation ceremony from its traditional location in front of Owens Fine Arts Center to McFarlin Auditorium.

Bowen recently decided to change the location after considering the limitations of the outside ceremony and what he believes to be an insufficient backup plan in case of rain. Although Bowen said that he has received many letters and e-mails from students, parents, faculty and staff who have expressed gratitude for the location change, an overwhelming majority of students at the meeting this afternoon expressed a vehement objection to Bowen’s decision to move the ceremony.

Students described how an outside graduation ceremony was fitting for the laid-back atmosphere of Meadows and the significance of graduating at the building where many spend the majority of their college careers learning, rehearsing and creating.

Bowen prefaced the discussion by expressing his sympathy and understanding for student concerns.

“Both my high school and college graduation were outside and they were great,” Bowen said. “So my preference is to do it outside.”

The dean said that students didn’t have to convince him that an outside location was nicer, but that there were other things to consider, such has health, safety and sight lines.

Bowen believes moving the ceremony to McFarlin is a compromise that recognizes everyone’s concerns.

“Parents, staff and faculty all helped you to get here,” Bowen said. “This is a way to balance needs so that everyone could participate.”

Senior Brian Kress created the Facebook group called “C’MON Dean Bowen!” to unite those in favor of an outside graduation. The group had 177 members as of press time.

“I’m in agreement that parents, faculty and staff are big contributors to us being here,” Kress said. “Their experience is important which is a lot of the reason why I want it outside. There is a great sense of community at the outside graduation.”

While students may prefer the outside ceremony, more faculty than ever before have signed up to attend the Meadows graduation which Bowen credits to the location change.

Bowen said that it is “very important that everyone gets a seat,” and that certain people are unable to attend the outside ceremony due to physical limitations.

“We have to think about the whole community,” Bowen said. “We can’t vote out minority rights.”

According to Bowen, McFarlin Auditorium has enough seats to accommodate the reservations that had been made as of this afternoon.

However, students at the meeting said that many had yet to make reservations as they were waiting to decide until they knew the move was final. They also said that there is limited seating at McFarlin Auditorium. Rough estimates would allow each graduating student tickets for five people. This math, however, is contingent upon all students actually attending the ceremony, and ticket amounts may vary depending on how many people end up needing five tickets.

“The big issue is my family,” senior Jessica Hargrave said. “They won’t be able to see me graduate. I have a very large family, and I’m the third person to graduate from a university, so it’s a very big deal.”

Hargrave said she missed out on a lot of family activities because she was at school and wants to give her family a chance to come and see what she was had been doing and make them proud.

An overflow of McFarlin would most likely be solved by having a simulcast of the ceremony at another location. This solution was insufficient for the students at the meeting, who were dead-set on finding a way of keeping the ceremony outside, or at least in the Owens Fine Arts Center. Some suggested showing a simulcast of the ceremony in a special “cold room” inside where those who could not stand the heat outside could watch the graduation.

Although many students felt that this alternative “cold room” was the best solution, and Bowen recognized its merits, he was more interested in hearing suggestions for the possible overflow of McFarlin and a way of keeping the Meadows spirit alive at a ceremony in McFarlin.

“I’ve spent lots of sleepless nights thinking about this, and it’s breaking my heart sitting here telling you that I think the right thing is for it to happen at McFarlin,” Bowen said.

Bowen also said that at this point he would anger even more people if he chose to move the venue back.

“The point of the meeting was to hear ideas and concerns,” Bowen said. “Sometimes I have to upset some people.”

Many students who attended the meeting in an attempt to convince the dean to move the ceremony back to its traditional location were frustrated that the decision to move the ceremony was made so abruptly, giving them few opportunities to express there concerns, and even less of a chance to have an effect on the decision.

Kress plans to rally students and continue pushing for the ceremony to be moved back outside.

“I thought the meeting was ineffective,” Kress said. “It’s sad when the administration says there’s going to be an open conversation but doesn’t actually try to use our suggestions.”