The College of Southern California has determined to “launch” visitor audio system and honorees from attending this yr’s graduation on Could 10.
Amongst those that have been set to be featured on the major graduation program have been Depraved filmmaker Jon M. Chu because the graduation speaker, and honorary diploma recipient’s tennis star Billie Jean King, Maria Rosario Jackson and Marcia McNutt.
“To maintain the deal with our graduates, we’re redesigning the graduation program,” the college shared in a memo Friday. “Given the extremely publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage graduation program, college management has determined it’s best to launch our exterior audio system and honorees from attending this yr’s ceremony.”
The message continued, “We’ve been speaking to this distinctive group and hope to confer these honorary levels at a future graduation or different tutorial ceremonies.”
The information got here after USC confronted a wave of criticism this week after the Los Angeles personal college introduced that its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, a first-generation Muslim scholar, wouldn’t ship a graduation deal with — breaking the varsity’s custom.
The college got here to that call after campus Jewish organizations, together with Trojans for Israel, expressed their opposition to her being a graduation speaker, citing a pro-Palestinian social media hyperlink shared by Tabassum.
Whereas USC stated it canceled the speech on account of safety considerations, including that it obtained discover that the graduation could be disrupted, Tabassum stated in an announcement that she was “shocked” and “profoundly upset” by the varsity’s choice.
“There stay severe doubts about whether or not U.S.C.’s choice to revoke my invitation to talk is made solely on the premise of security,” she added, questioning the college’s reasoning.
After it was revealed that Tabassum’s speech was canceled, USC has been met with days of protests as folks name for her reinstatement as a speaker.