Clinton to attend reception
A private reception with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be held prior to the start of Saturday’s commencement ceremony for the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, school officials said.
The reception will take place in the facilities of Bank OZK Arena adjacent to the Hot Springs Convention Center. Clinton’s keynote address to the graduating Class of 2019 and the commencement ceremony will take place in the arena.
“The opportunity is very brief since the ceremony does start at 2 p.m.,” ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice said Monday.
Donnie Sewell, the school’s public information specialist, said Tuesday the reception is set to begin one hour before the commencement.
“Participants will primarily represent the ASMSA Board of Visitors, ASMSA Foundation, ambassadors of the school and those involved in the early advocacy and creation of the school,” Alderdice said Monday.
He said around 30 guests are expect
ed at the reception.
“Everyone who is attending has been specifically invited,” Sewell said Tuesday.
The reception will provide individuals in attendance the opportunity to “mingle and talk in the room” with Clinton, Alderdice said.
When asked if those in attendance at the reception were to be admitted free of charge, Sewell said, “That is correct.”
Alderdice, when asked on Monday about Clinton’s total travel costs, said, “We do not have a final number on that.”
Alderdice said the ASMSA Foundation is paying the travel costs. The costs will be paid for out of the ASMSA Foundation fund from private donations, Sewell said Tuesday.
Clinton will not receive a speaker’s fee from the school and none of her travel costs will be paid for by ASMSA, Sewell said on April 4.
“I think, as we have said repeatedly, that private donations will be used to cover that cost,” Alderdice said Monday.
“The ASMSA Foundation Fund, as part of the University of Arkansas Foundation Inc., is an independent nonprofit corporation serving the University of Arkansas system. It is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,” according to the foundation’s website.