Half of the 1,900 undergraduate and graduate tickets for former President Bill Clinton's March 13 speech will be distributed between noon and 5 p.m. in the lobbies of Dowling Hall and the campus center on Friday. The second half will be available, while they last, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
Seating for the lecture will be first-come first-serve, and will begin next Wednesday promptly at 4 p.m. All students must be seated by 4:20 p.m.
Tickets for the event - which will be held in the Gantcher Convocation Center - are free of charge. Students will be allowed to obtain a maximum of two tickets, but must provide ID cards for both themselves and the second student. Tufts officials will electronically track distribution to prevent students from obtaining multiple tickets.
Clinton will speak as part of the annual Issam M. Fares Lecture series, which has previously brought to campus such speakers as former President George H. Bush, now-Secretary of State Colin Powell, and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Clinton is expected to discuss the future of America and globalization in the 21st century.
Seating for the Fares lecture was filled to capacity last year when Powell spoke. But some, including Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Eric Greenberg, expect there will be more people at Clinton's speech, judging from the high level of student interest.
Greenberg said students' strong interest in hearing former President Clinton speak probably stems from his political presence. Regardless of people's opinions of the former president, they are asking for tickets. "It's one of those speakers that everyone gets excited about whether they like him or not," he said.
While tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, some students have already been guaranteed seats. For example, members of the Senior Leadership Corps - all seniors - will have access to tickets as a reward for working all year on senior-related projects, according to senior Lindsay Braun.
If any tickets remain on Wednesday morning, they will be available between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Anyone who requires handicapped entry will be allowed in at 3:45 p.m.
