Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990 TAG: 9004110464
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
While the schools have scheduled graduations a week apart this year, both have tentatively selected May 4 for graduation next year. Tech and Radford officials are trying to reach a solution - the best being that one change dates.
Charles Owens, vice president for academic affairs at Radford, said he and Fred Carlisle, Tech's provost, are talking about graduation conflicts and how to resolve them. "We don't have a solution yet," Owens said.
Radford has scheduled its 1992 graduation for May 2. Owens said he and Carlisle hope to avoid both schools having the same date then. Tech's 1992 graduation date was not available last week.
Wayne Gibson, Best Western Red Lion Inn manager, said double graduation anytime in the future bother him and other hoteliers.
"All of the hotels in the area, including Radford and Roanoke . . . are concerned about the two schools graduating the same weekend. That does have quite an effect on the hotels, restaurants and even the retail business in the area," he said.
Blaine Shively, manager of the Blacksburg Marriott, also wants to avoid future double graduations. They "definitely hurt business as well as relationships with the parents."
Clayton Tinnell, president of the Christiansburg-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, said area hotels and retailers would prefer some breathing room. "They didn't learn, did they?" Tinnell said when told the schools had scheduled double graduation weekends for the future. "Not knowing the problem was going to recur, I guess we haven't done anything or said anything."
by CNB