OUR VIEW: Kudos for moving Dawkins’ lecture

The highly anticipated lecture by prominent author and scientist Richard Dawkins has moved to McCasland Field House, organizers of the event confirmed Friday.

Dawkins will speak March 6 at 7 p.m in McCasland Fieldhouse.

Seats for the lecture now will be assigned on a free first-come, first-served basis.

Originally scheduled for Sharp Concert Hall in Catlett Music Center, the March 6 lecture now will be able to accommodate more than twice as many audience members, with more than 3,000 available seats in the field house.

Barry Weaver, the geology professor in charge of Dawkins’ visit, said extra funding secured by the lecture’s organizers allowed the move.

“The demand was such that it merited additional tickets being available,” Weaver said. “Now more than 3,000 people will be able to see him.”

Initially, tickets were available for admission to the lecture in Sharp Concert Hall. Though the tickets were free to students, Dawkins’ popularity and high demand for tickets led many students to sell their tickets online.

Ellan Sivanesan, first-year medical student, bought a ticket for $60 through the Facebook Marketplace before the lecture was moved to the field house. Since ticket holders now have the same chance of getting seats as non-ticket holders, Sivanesan said his ticket’s seller did not make him follow through with the sale.

“I’m glad they’re doing it at the new event because more people can come now,” he said.

Dawkins is a best-selling author and biologist who writes about evolutionary theory.

Dawkins was in high demand for 2009 celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s book, “On the Origin of Species,” Weaver said.