By Jessie Gambrell

The popular Arts & Lectures series returns this fall with a new ticketing process that requires advance reservation for all shows, and tickets for CSUSM faculty, staff and the public are no longer free.

Thanks to the series ,CSUSM’s halls have been graced with world-renowned musicians, internationally acclaimed dancers, famous poets, directors and authors.

Over the summer the Arts & Lectures planning committee decided that something needed to be done in order to ensure that the students who were required to attend the on-campus events could, in fact, get in. In previous years, there were many instances where faculty, staff, community members and even students were turned away due to a lack of seating. “Tickets are a new thing, before we couldn’t really plan ahead.

By doing this (having mandatory tickets) we are streamlining the process. And yes it is going to be a permanent thing, for every event you are required to have a ticket,” said Marilyn Huerta, of the Events and Conference Services. The series has been growing in popularity and the committee has had to deal with the growing attendance.

“Even if requesting tickets online is a little more complicated than just showing up for a talk, I think it shows how far we have come as a university.  I celebrate what the change signals about the richness of life on our campus,” Professor Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall said.

“We’ve had questions about how to do it since you must get it online. Right now, tickets are open for students only. Students, faculty, and staff must bring their CSUSM ID to be admitted into the event,” Huerta said.

For CSUSM faculty and stafff, the prices range from free to $10, and $15 or $20 for the public. Whether they’re free or not, all tickets must be ordered from the Arts & Lectures website at www.csusm.edu/al, printed out and presented to the usher before being admitted into each event.

“We’ve really looked at the options and the impact it would have. Last year we had to turn people away due to insufficient seating, it was really hard. We’re still trying to get the word out about the change,” said Melanie Chu, an outreach librarian.

For more information on how to get tickets for CSUSM events, visit www.csusm.edu/al or call the Office of Arts & Lectures at 760-750-8889.