Graduating seniors are changing their minds about attending the commencement exercises as word spreads around campus about the identity of this year's commencement speaker -- first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
SF State has invited the first lady to the university's 94th Commencement ceremony in Cox Stadium May 27.
"We are delighted and honored to have her come," said Ligeia Polidora, director of public affairs and communications at SF State.
Theatre arts major Vincent Schilling wasn't going to attend graduation until he found out the first lady was speaking. He said he had a hard time figuring out why Mrs. Clinton would come to SF State and offered his own theory for the first lady's visit.
"I think the Clintons like San Francisco. They'll take any excuse they can to come to visit," Schilling said.
Polidora said she does not know why Mrs. Clinton accepted the invitation, saying, "You'll have to ask her yourself."
At press time, the White House was unavailable for comment.
But before you start packing your picnic basket and heading down to Cox Stadium for graduation day, keep in mind only students graduating and their guests will be able to attend the commencement ceremony, according to Dominic Ainza of the Commencement Office. And they only get five guest tickets each.
Biology major Alex Witz, who is inviting 13 relatives and friends to his graduation, is having a difficult time getting the extra tickets he needs.
"They're going to be hard to get, now that she's coming," he said.
Witz said he is very excited about the first lady's arrival.
"I'm glad I'm graduating this semester," Witz said. "She's a good choice because she represents the political attitude of the students."
Graduating senior Ernesto Daniel was one student not caught-up in the excitement.
"I don't think it's such a major world event that some people make it out to be," Daniel said. "The way I see it, it's just another guest speaker."
Actually, the first lady is arguably the most prestigious commencement speaker at SF State in the last five years.
The last five commencement speakers were Waldemar Rojas, superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District; Marian Wright Edelman, a lawyer and director of the Children's Defense Fund; Bernard Goldstein, California State University trustee and SF State biology professor; Gail Whittaker, former Academic Senate chair and kinesiology professor and SF State President Robert A. Corrigan.
Mark Friedman contributed to this article.