After heavy-handed crackdowns on campus rallies over the Israel-Gaza war this week, senior students in Los Angeles said they are “reconsidering what it means to graduate from USC.”
With only two weeks until their graduation ceremony on May 10, several felt the joyous atmosphere had evaporated and been replaced by one of “almost grief.” Others accused the institution of instilling a sense of “us versus them” among Jewish and Muslim pupils.
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On Wednesday, like many other universities across the country, USC, whose tuition can cost up to $95,000 per year, saw campus demonstrations turn violent, with armed police arriving with rubber bullets and riot gear. Similar frightening events occurred in states such as Georgia, when police used tasers on restrained students and fired pepperballs at demonstrators at Emory University.
The widespread disturbance follows the detention of students at Columbia University in New York amid weeks of protests. At Columbia alone, protest encampments calling for the institution to cut financial connections with Israel over the Gaza war led to the arrest of more than 100 people. Similar concerns have been expressed by protesters at universities in other states, including USC and the University of Texas at Austin.
However, less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s demonstrations, there was almost no evidence of protest activity on the California campus at all. The only indicators of action were chalk messages stating, “USC, divest from death” and “no more money for USC’s crimes.”
Alan, a USC senior who will graduate next month, stated that the campus felt “military-like” during the protests. All campus entrances checked student IDs on Thursday.
“The only time you ever had to check in with your ID to get into campus was at night or on weekends,” he told the newspaper. “Keeping the outside community out suggests that USC is not a place for open ideas.”
“It’s only open to students that spend $90,000 to go, like myself, and yet, if we even voice our opinions and our beliefs, we will be punished, as we witnessed yesterday. There will be consequences for expressing my beliefs, which is particularly distressing given that this is a university.
The 22-year-old, who was present during the rallies on Wednesday, said emotions had abruptly risen after USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers attempted to arrest and transport an individual in a car.
“The students blockaded the car and told them that they could arrest him, and they’re not leaving until he’s out of the vehicle,” Alan was quoted as saying by The Independent. “They basically made a human chain arm around the car and said we wouldn’t leave until you got him out.” It just became very tense.”
During the protests, video footage showed scores of helmeted officers arriving on the site and debating with individuals gathering about tent removal. “It was just very hurtful to see the people who are supposed to protect us, like DPS; whenever there’s an issue on campus, we always call DPS because they’re our own staff,” Alan went on to say. “And yet they were the ones hurting the student body.” When he returned to college the next day, he claimed it “felt wrong.”.
“The atmosphere is not celebratory. In some ways, the atmosphere is one of mourning. “I believe people were simply reconsidering what it means to graduate from USC,” Alan told The Independent.
“I am a graduating senior. This is my graduation class. “And it feels strange to return to college or to enjoy the final week in this manner.”
He stated, “I will never have this week again.” And it’s unfortunate that this is how we’ll leave. For instance, the memory of USC assaulting us during our final week of school will remain etched in my mind. USC did not support us.”
On Thursday, USC announced that the main stage commencement ceremony will no longer take place on May 10. Some of those about to graduate described the decision as “heartbreaking,” citing extra safety precautions on campus that made processing such a large number of students problematic.
Prior to Thursday’s news, the lead-up to the USC commencement ceremony in May had already been overshadowed by controversy, with the announcement that the 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, would not be giving a speech owing to undefined “safety concerns.”.
Ms. Tabassum portrays herself as a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim, with a link to a pro-Palestinian website in her social media bio. Her detractors have accused her of holding anti-Israel attitudes. In response, she remarked, “I am not surprised by individuals who seek to spread hatred. I’m startled that my own university, my home for four years, has abandoned me.” She claimed she was “profoundly disappointed” by USC’s decision, which was unrelated to her political beliefs. CAIR Greater Los Angeles, an advocacy group, said the decision “empowers voices of hate” and breached the university’s commitment to protect students.
Despite claims by students, including Alan, that the campus protests since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7 have been peaceful and non-antisemitic, many Jewish students at USC say their final weeks have been filled with concern from friends and family.
Senior student Melina Feradouni described the decision to cancel the main stage ceremony at commencement as “truly heartbreaking” and “a mess that could have been avoided” by USC. Ms. Feradouni, 22, told The Independent that she had been sitting in class for a review session prior to her final exams and had to leave because she was “so distracted” by the news.
“Unfortunately, our university’s failure to take appropriate action spoiled a very great day. Our graduation has always been a public event, and I had approximately 15 loved ones scheduled to attend, but that will no longer be possible,” she added.
“If the institution had taken the right steps before selecting the valedictorian, we could have avoided this disaster… The weeks leading up to this day were supposed to be thrilling and fun, but now they are filled with dread. We Jewish seniors graduating feel excluded and unsafe.”
Ms. Feradouni, who defines herself as a “proud Jew,” said she stayed at home on Wednesday due to fear.
“I’ve known I wanted to go to USC since I was 14, and this was intended to be a celebration for me and my family, but it’s turned out to be horrible.” Coming to campus has been exhausting,” she told the Independent.
“Graduation has led to friends and family contacting me and asking, ‘Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you safe? … By no means did I expect the weeks leading up to my graduation to be like this.”
Ms. Feradouni’s parents are Iranian-Jewish immigrants who came to the United States decades ago. She said that both the protests and USC’s choice of valedictories were antisemitic.
“The weeks leading up to graduation should be a happy time, but it isn’t.” “Graduation should not be a place for hatred of any kind.”
