At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, tickets to see former Vice President Joe Biden as part of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series went on sale to the Vanderbilt community. By 8:03 a.m., all the tickets were claimed.
Provost Susan Wente sent an email to the student body today addressing the disappointment members of the community have at being unable to secure tickets. The university will be arranging for a number of overflow viewing locations during the event, where students can watch the livestream of the conversation.
One complaint the student body had was at the choice of venue. The lecture, as with all Chancellor’s Lectures, will take place in Langford Auditorium, which seats 1,104. This venue, rather than other spaces on campus that may have larger capacity, Wente said was chosen for the sake of security.
Due to the high demand for tickets to the event, some students who were able to secure them have begun selling their tickets, which they were able to get for free. Wente asks that students report anyone selling tickets to [email protected], as it is unauthorized. She said the purpose of offering the tickets for free in the first place was to make sure all students could attend without financial barriers.
“We are now disappointed to learn that some members of our community are taking advantage of the enormous popularity of this event for financial gain by selling their tickets,” Wente said in the statement. “Selling tickets for the event is prohibited and tickets are non-transferable. This is meant to be an opportunity for the university community, not an opportunity for individuals to profit.”
Read Provost Wente’s full statement below:
The Chancellor’s Lecture Series event April 10 with Vice President Joe Biden is a special event for the Vanderbilt community.
We had a record response to the event – all tickets were claimed immediately when they were made available yesterday. We know many students were disappointed that the event isn’t being held in a larger venue. Langford Auditorium was selected as the location due to security and logistical concerns.
To give as many students as possible an opportunity to experience this wonderful event, the university is arranging for overflow viewing locations on campus. We will share details about those locations as soon as they are finalized.
I also want to be sure everyone understands that the university offered the bulk of tickets first to the Vanderbilt community and made them available free of charge to ensure there were no economic barriers to participation. We are now disappointed to learn that some members of our community are taking advantage of the enormous popularity of this event for financial gain by selling their tickets.
Selling tickets for the event is prohibited and tickets are non-transferable. This is meant to be an opportunity for the university community, not an opportunity for individuals to profit. The university will take steps to ensure our original intent for the event is preserved. Please report those selling tickets to [email protected].
