College Commencements Disrupted by Israel-Hamas Conflict Sparks Student Protests

College Commencements Disrupted by Israel-Hamas Conflict
Student protests over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas have threatened commencement ceremonies at colleges across America. The University of Southern California (USC) has canceled all external speakers during its graduation ceremony following the cancellation of a Muslim student’s valedictorian speech after she shared opinions on social media regarding Israel.
USC students were disheartened by this decision, with Divya Jakatdar, president of USC’s student body, telling The New York Times that “It’s a very big hit to morale for the exact class that felt like they lost their high school graduation.” She added: “We’ve missed out on enough.”
However, some students still support these protests. Sophia Pargas, an Emerson College senior, told The New York Times that “A lot of our milestones have had some big looming global atrocity over us… It’s almost like we’ve been conditioned for it [at] this point.”
Meanwhile, Maideh Orangi expressed her disappointment to the same publication. She said: “The one glimmer of hope, the one bright side that I was looking forward to in all of this was that one commencement and now it’s just all gone… It feels like the whole end to my senior year is surrounded by a really sour feeling.”
A Barnard College student who wore clothing demonstrating solidarity with Palestinians expressed her willingness to sacrifice her graduation ceremony for what she believed in. Other students, such as Ruby Cayenne from California State Polytechnic University, were disappointed that their commencement plans may be disrupted by these protests.
Cayenne told The New York Times: “I have put my blood, sweat and tears into getting this degree… My family on my father’s side are Cuban immigrants who fought hard to get into the country and provide a life where their future generations can receive an education.”