Apr 19, 2014 06:58 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Selfies have been banned at the Bryant University graduation ceremony to avoid any kind of hiccups.

University President Ronald Machtley said that the event is a memorable day for both students and their families and allowing every student to click pictures on stage will delay the hours-long ceremony to be held on May 17.

Machtley said that selfies along with him can be clicked by the approximately 850 graduates once the ceremony concludes.  

With the exception of the graduation ceremony, Machtley allows students to take selfies with him throughout the year.

"I tweet a lot, I have 2,200 followers on campus and I think the fear was...because I take a lot of selfies throughout the school year that it would become an epidemic," Machtley said. "Our staff was trying to protect me and the students from making this ceremony any longer," USA Today reports.

Last year, some graduates snapped pictures of their big milestone. The commencement committee feared a repetition in this year's convocation ceremony, hence the 'no selfies' rule.

Sheila Guay, the university's director of conferences and special events, said that taking selfies on the podium will not only interrupt the ceremony but will also spoil photos taken by family members or school-assigned photographer of them shaking the president's hand and receiving their degrees.

"We think the grad's family would prefer a serious photo of this milestone on the mantle rather than a "selfie" type pose," said Guay, abc 6 reports.

"There's a fairly short time that the photographer can snap and if they're holding up their (camera) taking a picture of us, that could be the photo that their parents get," Machtley said.

There is no penalty for breaking the rule but  Machtley is positive that the graduates will value the university's wishes.

Senior Ali Luthman said that students might be disappointed by the selfies prohibition but "no one is crying about it,"Arizona Daily Star reports.

In August 2013, Oxford University Press included 'selfie' in 'Oxford English Dictionaries Online' (ODO) along with 'twerk,' 'phablet,' 'emoji,' 'TL; DR' and 'srsly' among others. And in November 2013, 'selfie' was named the International Word of the Year following its popularity among all ages.

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