NYU and the Rockettes won't be sharing the bill at Radio City Music Hall this year.
The Inter-Residence Hall Council announced at last night's town hall meeting that the annual freshman convocation will be moved from the iconic New York City concert hall to the Beacon Theater on 74th Street and Broadway.
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NYU associate vice president of student affairs Tom Ellett said the venue was moved, as Radio City is booked for the next five years.
"A performance of Cirque du Soleil is taking Radio City Music Hall away from NYU for five years," Tom Ellett, director of student affairs said. "Madison Square Garden is undergoing renovations, so it looks like we'll be moving to the Beacon for a few years."
Gallatin freshman AJ Kieffer said the switch to a smaller theater will take away from the authenticity of the incoming students' first week.
"I think Radio City is such an iconic New York City building, especially compared to the Beacon," he said. "Not having the convocation there will definitely take away from the experience."
At the meeting, NYU assistant vice president of public safety and investigations Jerry Matthews announced plans to computerize the guest sign-in procedure in residence halls. NYU also hopes to digitize the lost and found system that receives up to 500 lost items each month.
"We'd like to shorten the amount of time it takes to sign students in and out and reduce the waste that the paper creates," Matthews said.
Ellett also discussed the Community @ NYU Initiative, started by Student Senators Council and University Committee for Student Life chair Katie Sylvester and vice president of student affairs Marc Wais.
"We received 6,000 responses to the email we sent out a few weeks ago," Ellett said. "That's 15 percent of the NYU community. 80 percent responded that they are proud to be NYU students."
According to the survey, the majority of responding students met their friends in class or in residence halls, Ellett said.
Transportation was also on the docket last night. Fred Barlow, assistant director of training, transportation and administration, said the university's hybrid bus fleet "far fewer complaints" than the old one. Transportation is still working out the kinks of the bus tracking system and urged students to be patient.
"We want students to embrace the idea that there will be delays," Barlow said. "Sometimes it's better to seek an alternate route."
