USC Graduation Ceremony Canceled Amid Campus Controversy – Los Angeles Times | Wayne Dupree

The primary graduation ceremony at the University of Southern California has been canceled. Prior to the uptick in demonstrations over Middle East policies this week on college campuses throughout the US, the university was involved in arguments with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators. According to the Los Angeles Times, the school said that its current safety protocols made it logistically impossible to accommodate 65,000 students at once. “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,” a statement from the school said.

There will not be a big stage ceremony, but there will be around two dozen smaller graduations from other departments and schools. Due to criticism from pro-Israeli organizations about her pro-Palestinian stance, USC decided to postpone its valedictorian’s address until next week. The AP reports that on Wednesday, over ninety protestors were taken into custody on campus. The Times reports that actor Sean Penn is still slated to speak to graduates of the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on May 11. Donal Manahan, who has served as the USC marshal for the main stage graduation since 2016, said that “this is a rather unusual commencement, to put it in obvious terms.” “It is the whole country going through it.”