Yesterday was the biggest day of thousands of NYU students' lives as they graduated from their respective colleges and schools, but guess what—even that isn't enough to let them sit in the seats near the field at Yankee Stadium! With Washington Square Park's renovation forcing the school to relocate its school-wide graduation ceremonies to the Bronx for a spell, the Yankees prohibited NYU from filling the premium seats with students.
For serious—and it was based on last year's streaking graduate: The NY Post reports, "An NYU spokesman said the Yanks stipulated the plush seats not be used during the ceremony as part of the deal for use of the ballpark. The Yankees say the decision was in response to an incident last year in which a student ran onto the field half-naked during the ceremony. 'We felt this was the most prudent way to protect the integrity of the ceremony,' team spokesman Jason Zillo said." Of course, the Daily News called it a "moat."
Students had mixed reactions: One graduate told the Post, "It seems very New York to me and indicative of Major League Baseball and the new stadium to segregate those who have and those who have not," while another pointed out, "Those are expensive seats and they want to keep it that way. They don't want any college kids partying in those seats." Yeah—maybe if they pay $2500 for a ticket, but not on graduation day.
Other NYU graduation notes: Besides Secretary of State Hillary Clinton getting rousing applause, reporter and legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas was wildly received. However, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who was given the Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service To New York City, was met with applause, but at the end of his speech a few members of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development chanted "Let us work! Let us work!"—a reference to the Department of Education's hiring freeze.
With contribution from Jason Andra
