Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony, but will go ahead with smaller--scale graduations , the school said yesterday, after weeeks of pro--Palestinian demonstrations disrupted the campus, the USA Today website reported yesterday (May 7, 2024.).
"We have decided to make the centerpiece of our commencement activities our class days and school--level ceremonies , where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the university--wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15," the Upper Manhattan school said in an announcement..
School spokesman Ben Chang added, "Holding a large commencement ceremony on our campus presented security concerns that unfortunately proved insurmountable."
"Like our students , we are deeply disappointed with this outcome."
He said Columbia tried to come up with a different venue to still hold the traditional larger commencement, but couldn't find one large enough. More than 50,000 people typically attend the ecvent.
None of the school's smaller ceremonies will even be held on its iconic South Lawn, where such events are usually staged -- and where hundreds of protesters were recently arrested for refusing to leave a massive tent encampment.
No comments:
Post a Comment