Student protests are threatening to cancel some college commencement ceremonies across the U.S. as the Israel-Hamas war continues to divide college campuses.
The University of Southern California (USC) announced Friday it would scrap all outside speakers during this year’s commencement ceremony, just days after the school canceled a Muslim student’s valedictorian speech following a series of social media posts she made about Israel.
“It’s a very big hit to morale for the exact class that felt like they lost their high school graduation,” USC student body President Divya Jakatdar told The New York Times after learning about the commencement cancelation. “We’ve missed out on enough.”
USC REMOVES OUTSIDE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS AFTER CANCELLING VALEDICTORIAN’S SPEECH
But some students are still lending support to the importance of protest.
“It seems sort of ridiculous for us to complain about graduation when people’s lives are on the line,” Jakatdar said.
Other students say that they’re exhausted by the seemingly constant threat of global events over domestic celebrations.
“A lot of our milestones have had some big, looming global atrocity over us,” Emerson College senior Sophia Pargas told the New York Times. ”It’s almost like we’ve been conditioned for it at this point.”
Maideh Orangi also responded to the cancellation controversy at USC.
“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,” she told The Times. “It feels like the whole end to my senior year is surrounded by a really sour feeling.”
A Barnard College student wearing the kaffiyeh that demonstrates solidarity with the Palestinians said she was willing to sacrifice her graduation.
USC SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CANCELING MAIN STAGE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: ‘CAVING TO CAMPUS TERRORISTS’
Some students, including California State Polytechnic University, Ruby Cayenne, were disappointed by the news that student protests might interrupt graduation plans.
“I have put my blood, sweat and tears into getting this degree. The family on my father’s side are Cuban immigrants and they fought hard to get into this country and to provide a life where their future generations can get an education,” she told the Times.
USC did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
