The University of Southern California on Thursday held fireworks, marching bands, celebrity tributes and a drone show for graduates who gathered at short notice to try to calm weeks of unrest that tore through campus and upended traditional graduation ceremonies. held a party.
There were no protesters or any direct mention of the recent unrest during the tight, hour-long ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “This class has been through a lot,” late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel said in a videotaped address.
But he did not go into details, and for most of the audience of about 20,000 graduates and their relatives, the night was notable for its respite from last month's unrest.
The party was held in place of the typical glitz and glamor graduation ceremonies held on campus. The incident comes three weeks after the university canceled a lecture by its Muslim valedictorian, sparking violent protests on campus. The school canceled main stage admissions, saying it could not provide the additional level of safety required.
Despite the fireworks and blaring music, the audience Thursday night was fairly quiet, with the 78,000-seat stadium largely empty. Celebrities, university professors and Olympic athletes wished the graduates well, and the ceremony, played mostly on big screens, took on the feel of a pandemic-era Zoom call. Much of the action took place in the cold night sky, as a drone spelled out “USC” and fireworks exploded over Los Angeles as thousands of faces looked up.
The Trojan Family Graduation Celebration was announced 10 days after the university canceled the main ceremony, saying it could not ensure the safety of more than 60,000 people.
“I'm just trying to say thank you,” said Princess Isis Lang, 22, who is graduating with a degree in musical theater. Although she is critical of the government's decision to cancel her speech, she said she is trying to enjoy as much normalcy as possible and celebrate with her family.
When the university canceled the lecture, it said it received emails and other electronic communications warning of plans to disrupt the ceremony, including at least one targeting valedictorian Asna Tabassum. It also included things.
The school's president, Carol Folt, came under scrutiny for the decision, which came after pro-Israel groups criticized Tabassum's selection and pointed to social media posts by students sympathetic to Palestinians. exposed. Tabassum, many of her fellow students and some faculty members said she was being silenced.
In the days and weeks that followed, protesters attempted to set up encampment in Alumni Park on campus to criticize the war in Gaza and the cancellation of the speech. Scuffles broke out between protesters and campus police, and the school eventually called the Los Angeles Police Department, who arrested 93 people and evacuated central campus.
On Wednesday, USC's Academic Senate voted to censure Folt, citing “widespread dissatisfaction and concern among faculty” about his decisions over the past several weeks. Many parents and students are upset by schools canceling major graduation ceremonies and heavy security at this week's celebrations.
“It was a mess,” said Juan Pablo Sanchez, 21, an acting and cinematography major. Sanchez was surrounded by eight family members who had flown in from Texas, Arizona and Mexico and wore matching T-shirts with his name on them for the occasion. Sanchez said his high school graduation four years ago was cut short by the pandemic.
“A lot of times things don't go as planned, so this might be a little taste of the real world,” he said.
victoria kim Contributed to the report.