Academia’s continued caving to anti-Israel protesters left one graduating senior in tears as she spoke about her school’s “upsetting and disappointing” ceremony decision.
“I just had my last class ever and right after, should be celebrating, just got the news…”
Months of threats to safety came to a head on the campus of the University of Southern California this week when over 100 Hamas sympathizing insurgents earned their zip-tied merit badges alongside their activist-in-training peers. Unfortunately for the high school COVID class of 2020, many of whom had yet to formally don a cap and gown, fortune favored a repeat win in the loser lotto.
“If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would graduate high school and not have a graduation, get into USC, go all four years at USC and not have a graduation, I would have been like, what? Like, that doesn’t make sense,” said graduating USC senior Gracie Flynn in a TikTok video posted Thursday, shortly after her school announced the cancelation of the main stage ceremony with the caption, “just so upsetting and disappointing.”
@gracieflynn12 just so upsetting and disappointing #fyp #usc #uscgraduation ♬ original sound – gracie
Sharing a screenshot of the notification from the school that read in part, “With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially.”
“As a result,” read Flynn, “we will not be able to host the main stage ceremony that traditionally brings 65,000 students, families, and friends to our campus all at the same time and during a short window from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.”
“I just feel like there could’ve been a different way to go about this than to cancel the graduation for a class that never even got a high school graduation either,” lamented the senior ahead of the now-canceled May 10 ceremony.
The school did indicate that there would still be “dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school commencement ceremonies where students cross the stage, have their names announced, are photographed, and receive their diplomas,” as well as doctoral hooding ceremonies and other department-specific activities.
USC also attempted to soften the news with a consolation that read, “We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band.”
Escalating tensions on the California campus followed the wave of antisemitic demonstrations across the country in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel that had reached a crescendo in recent days after the Islamist regime of Iran had lobbed its own volley of drones and missiles against the Jewish state.
In addition to the funded and organized protests that included student encampments and faculty participation, USC had the added volatility of canceling the speech of valedictorian Asna Tabassum after her own social media rhetoric was called into question for antisemitic and anti-Zionist language.
President Joe Biden’s inaction on the protests was challenged Friday by Fox News host Shannon Bream as she brought up young voters like Flynn as it was suggested the National Guard could be used to restore order and not cheat the post-COVID generation of yet another milestone celebration.
“I think if the Biden White House wants to get these youth voters, you gotta decide which side you’re going to want to lay your claim to here,” said Bream. “But, a lot of young people — yes, they’re upset with how you’re handling this Gaza situation with Israel — but, a lot of other people, a greater percentage, seem to be very upset about how this is impacting their college experience.”
Fox host suggests Biden could sway youth voters by using National Guard to save their college experiences https://t.co/5bmlv4lFfK via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) April 27, 2024
“We as a whole senior class have never had a real graduation because of COVID first, which we thought was like a one-time thing,” said the USC senior.
“Now all my roommates are depressed and we all literally were just sitting in the living room, like, in tears,” added Flynn who concluded, “ridiculous.”
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Author: Kevin Haggerty
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