Columbia cancels graduation ceremony because of student protests. It's the wrong choice.
For weeks now, students across the country have been protesting in support of Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
They have been met with police officers, who have arrested more than 2,500 people nationwide, and widespread criticism. Now, some colleges are going so far as to punish graduating seniors.
On Monday, Columbia University in New York City announced that it will cancel its main graduation ceremony due to security concerns related to weeks of protests on its campus. It isn’t the first school to make this decision. The University of Southern California canceled commencement in Los Angeles last month, and Emory University in Atlanta is changing the location of its ceremony.
There will still be department ceremonies at Columbia and USC; both will have “celebrations” for the graduates. That isn’t the same as turning the tassel with hundreds of classmates.
Colleges are overreacting to pro-Palestinian protests
It’s a shame that universities are so scared of protesters that they ruin the year for everyone. It’s also an overreaction that is a different response from previous protests.
Listen to the students: College students are telling you exactly how they feel about the Israel-Hamas war
Columbia still managed to have its 1968 spring graduation at a new location despite antiwar and civil rights protests that mirrored the ones we see today.
Kent State University even managed to hold a ceremony in 1970 after four antiwar college students were killed and nine injured by the Ohio National Guard.
Perhaps the administrations of Columbia and USC aren’t trying to emulate past decisions despite acting in ways that evoke memories of previous protests. Perhaps they were made nervous by protests at Indiana University and University of Michigan graduations. Either way, it seems unfair to the majority of students who did not participate in any wrongdoing.
USC’s decision feels particularly shameful. The administration initially canceled the valedictorian address from Asna Tabassum, an engineering student and Muslim American who was criticized for having a pro-Palestinian hyperlink in her social media bio.
Not a good look, USC: Cancel culture comes for colleges as graduation season begins
Columbia’s decision to cancel graduation is the final say-so on a tumultuous semester, one that university leaders exacerbated by having a large police presence on campus, even before Hamilton Hall was overtaken by protesters. It’s not surprising that their decisions have continued to disappoint in the aftermath.
Actions should have consequences, and I doubt that any of the students involved in the Hamilton Hall break-in would disagree. It makes sense that those students would face punishment from the university. It does not make sense for the entire 2024 class to lose out on college graduation.
Students will remember how poorly universities handled this
Meanwhile, Hamas leaders have said that they will accept a cease-fire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. This news came hours after Israel announced plans to attack Rafah, a city in Gaza that has become a refuge for more than 1 million Palestinians since Oct. 7.
A cease-fire would likely quell some of the angst we’ve seen on college campuses, but it won’t change the events of the past few weeks. How university administrations have reacted to these protesters will follow them for years and create strained relationships with their alums.
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For students who have protested, this is all a formative experience. They should remember some victories, like the universities' commitment to meeting with students to discuss divesting funds from Israel. Even that is a huge step toward the collective goal shared by Gen Z protesters.
I hope it doesn’t destroy the spirit of these young people who want to see a world unlike the one we grew up in.
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