As seniors prepare for their last bout with final exams, a different kind of test awaits them on the other side, at some of Michigan State University’s most picturesque locales: agonizingly long waits to snap celebratory grad pictures.
On idyllic afternoons throughout the spring, graduating seniors have dutifully donned their caps and gowns to swarm Beaumont Tower, the Spartan Statue or Spartan Stadium, among other spots, alongside friends and hired photographers. The resulting crowd has occassionally resulted in hours-long waits at some photogenic spots.
On a recent picturesque Sunday at the Spartan Statue, criminal justice senior Luthias Peabody said he had to wait more than three hours before getting his pictures taken.
“It's been long,” Peabody said. “I don't think it's any secret. I think everybody knows it takes a long time, but you really have to be prepared for it.”
For others, the pain of waiting to get pictures taken is more related to whom they’re stuck in line with, rather than the wait itself. At some spots on campus, particularly the base of Beaumont Tower, the smell of champagne sprayed on the ground can also be irksome.
“It was really cold and there was just a big group of annoying people,” said psychology and criminal justice senior Ansley Arnold, recalling her experience taking photos with a graduating friend last year. “Last year, we also went to the tower, and there was a really long line there of people trying to figure out how to open up the champagne bottles.”
Also along for the waits are photographers, some of who make a significant earning during graduation season.
“Last year, I did one of my roommate's pictures and I think we waited a good while in the line just for Spartan Statue and we were just really surprised because it was my first time taking pictures,” said architecture senior Treshea Hubbard, who was taking photos for Arnold. “I didn't know the line would be this long.”
Some, however, have devised strategies and tips to avoiding the long lines. For nursing senior Bailey Miller, who was taking photos for a finance senior Charlie Chambers, finding the right time in the year is essential.
“Don't wait until it's the last week before graduation,” Miller said. “I prefer the after part because a lot of the flowers and trees are getting more green and their flowers are blooming. You get a little bit more scenic views around the campus and all that stuff.”
The strategy seemed to work. Chambers said the lines he faced were relatively mild, adding that “We waited for maybe 15, 20 minutes at the Spartan statue, but it was well worth it.”
“I wouldn't make it an afternoon thing,” Peabody added. “If you can make it early morning, I think that's the best way to do it.”
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