Students Scramble for Commencement Tix

Now that the Celtics are out of the playoffs, the hottest items on the scalper's market are tickets to next month's Commencement exercises.

Along with other pre-graduation rites, such as taking last exams and selling furniture, many graduating students have embarked on the annual scramble for additional Commencement tickets.

The University allots a limited number of the tickets, free of charge, to graduating students--four for undergraduates and two for graduate students. It is not possible to buy additional tickets for the event from the University.

Sky-High Prices

Students say they have found tickets selling for anywhere from $25 to $100, but that the standard price seems to be around $65.

One senior, Theodore C. Brown '91, said that he will probably end up selling or giving away one or two of his tickets. "I've already been offered $65 for one of them," he said.

Some students in need of tickets are able to find friends willing to part with their extras. But others have to resort to more public methods, and in recent weeks notice boards all over campus have begun to carry such plaintive appeals.

One poster begins with a simple call: "HELP! I've got a large family." Another reads, "In order to maintain peace in my family, I need one additional ticket."

A poster in the Science Center uses characters from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes to comment on the situation, with Calvin exclaiming, "Money! Ha ha ha! I'm rich! I'm rich! I can buy off anyone. The world is mine!"

The appeals range from the discreet--offering a "good price"--to the blatant--"Willing to pay BIG $."

Supply and Demand

Asked to comment on the high prices the tickets are bringing, Assistant Professor of Economics Douglas W. Elmendorf said the phenomenon is easily explained.

"It's simple," said Elmendorf. "There is a limited supply and high demand. Anyone who has taken Ec 10 knows that the equilibrium price is going to be high."