Next month’s commencement convocation at the Hearst Greek Theatre is expected to draw record audiences, according to ceremony officials.

1,400 graduating students are currently set to attend the May 13 event, while roughly 700 came to last spring’s ceremony, said Katherine Nguyen, the Californians’ vice president for May commencement. Each student is allotted 10 tickets for relatives and friends, yet the venue’s Web site indicates it can only seat about 6,000.

Nguyen did not know what has compelled so many students to attend this year, but said they and their guests will likely be able to attend if they reserved their tickets by April 1.

This year’s keynote speaker is Craigslist.org founder Craig Newmark, who said his undergraduate years at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio were enjoyable — if somewhat introverted.

“I got a good education, but I should have gotten out more and had a little bit of fun,” said Newmark, who majored in computer science. “I was very much in my ‘nerd years’ then — let’s say I was bad at interacting with people.”

Newmark, who has also given commencement speeches at USC and Stanford University in recent years, hinted that he may soon collaborate with a popular cable TV comedian.

“I’ll also be speaking the following week at Montclair State University in New Jersey, and that’s where Stephen Colbert lives, so there may be mischief in store,” he said. “I don’t know (what), but I’ll think of something.”