Though a line of more than 150 students stretched out the door of the Schine Student Center on Tuesday afternoon, complimentary student tickets to the “Common Ground for Peace” symposium did not run out.

Students began lining up for tickets to two separate panels featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama and NBC correspondent Ann Curry about an hour and a half before they were released at 5 p.m. But after less than 15 minutes, the initial line had cleared out.

Syracuse University announced Monday that 300 tickets would be available for each Oct. 8 panel. The public will not be allowed to pick them up until Wednesday at 9 a.m.

About 100 tickets were left between the two panels when the box office closed Tuesday, said Chuck Merrihew, vice president of administration and engagement of advancement and external affairs at SU.

From past experience, Merrihew said members of the public, faculty, staff and students would take advantage of the complimentary public tickets. It has not yet been decided what will be done with Tuesday’s remaining tickets, but the hope is that they will be given to students, Merrihew said.

The morning panel is titled “The Arab Spring” and the afternoon discussion is called “Shifting the Global Consciousness.” Both will be held in Goldstein Auditorium in Schine.

Daniel Salguero, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, got in line for tickets half an hour before distribution began. He said he felt the ticket process went smoother than when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited campus in April.

“That one I waited for more than an hour, and it was raining and cold,” he said.

Salguero said he’s more interested in the panel than the concert on Oct. 9.

Rita Worlock, a first-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in social work and a Certificate of Advanced Study in addiction studies, said she felt the same way. When she arrived about half an hour after distribution began, there was no line. Worlock said this did not surprise her.

“I think people want to go to the more trendy, mainstream concert that night,” Worlock said.

The sentiment among those who picked up tickets appeared to be very positive.

Anthony DiMare, a junior mechanical engineering major, said he was pleased he got a ticket.

Said DiMare: “This is going to be something I’m going to remember forever.”

Published on September 26, 2012 at 3:03 am

Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum