The crowning of Asna Tabassum as USC valedictorian was speculated to be a time of delight for a college that has tried to shed its outdated picture as a playground for the privileged by bolstering teachers and variety.
In deciding on Tabassum from near 100 candidates with near-perfect GPAs and spectacular extracurriculars, USC put the highlight on a hijab-wearing Muslim daughter of Indian immigrants for its highest undergraduate honor.
A biomedical engineering main with a ardour for social justice who minored in “resistance to genocide,” she was simply the type of scholar USC has aimed to draw and has celebrated in advertisements for the college, the place the annual tab for these with out scholarships or monetary help this fall will eclipse $95,000.
As a substitute, the choice by President Carol Folt to rescind Tabassum’s commencement talking slot after undisclosed threats has catapulted USC into virtually two weeks of protest and controversy. The campus gates are closed to the general public, police have made 93 arrests, many lessons have been moved on-line, and the marquee 65,000-attendee “primary stage” graduation ceremony has been known as off.
Even at a time when swelling demonstrations have engulfed campuses throughout the nation, USC stands out. No different college has pulled its primary graduation, and few have seen as many arrests as rapidly as USC.
“It’s a whole catastrophe,” mentioned Viet Thanh Nguyen, a bestselling novelist and college professor of English, American research and ethnicity and comparative literature who has taught at USC for 27 years. “In each possibility, our administration has chosen the worst possibility. Each step alongside the best way, our administration has been absent.”
Gabriel Kahn, a USC journalism professor, had an analogous view.
Professional-Palestinian demonstrators at USC.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Instances)
“What I’ve wished to see from the start of that is for the college to exhibit some management and convene an uncomfortable dialog the place differing factors of view confront each other within the spirit of dialogue and studying,” he mentioned. “As a substitute, we’ve seen an effort to flee from something remotely controversial, which I believe is mental cowardice.”
On Friday, Folt — who till then had not commented publicly on the latest occasions — launched a letter to college students, college and employees, saying that “the previous few weeks have been extremely troublesome for all of us” and that “the present pressures and polarization have taken a toll in ways in which break my coronary heart.” Folt known as on the USC neighborhood to “share factors of view, hear, seek for widespread floor — and discover methods to help one another.”
In an e-mail, Lauren Bartlett, affiliate vp for strategic and disaster communications, declined a Instances request to interview Folt. The USC board chair, Suzanne Nora Johnson, additionally declined an interview request. Tabassum, who beforehand spoke to The Instances, didn’t reply to a subsequent interview request.
Asna Tabassum, USC’s 2024 valedictorian, whose graduation talking invitation was canceled, triggering waves of protest.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Instances)
The seeds of the USC disaster have been sown in March when Provost Andrew T. Guzman notified Tabassum that she was valedictorian. Her reward: becoming a member of the “primary stage” graduation on Might 10 to offer a 3-to-5-minute handle.
On April 2, Folt and Guzman took half in an Tutorial Honors Convocation in a campus ballroom with Tabassum and others.
“I’m a roomful of multi-hyphenates,” Folt mentioned, in accordance with USC As we speak, which featured a gaggle image of the smiling president with Tabassum behind her in a light-weight inexperienced hijab. Folt mentioned college students impressed her as a result of they have been “increasing that non-public seek for which means to incorporate one thing essential: benefiting humanity.”
Professional-Israel teams rapidly seized on Tabassum’s choice, accusing the college of caving to antisemitism.
“What is going to she say on the podium?” mentioned an April 9 Instagram submit by teams together with We Are Tov and Israel Struggle Room that went viral.
The complaints centered on a pro-Palestinian hyperlink on Tabassum’s Instagram profile. The hyperlink to a “Free Palestine” website mentioned, “Zionism is a racist settler-colonialist ideology.” It added that “one Palestinian state would imply Palestinian liberation and the whole abolishment of the state of Israel” in order that “each Arabs and Jews can stay collectively.”
Six days later, on April 15, USC introduced that Tabassum would now not seem on the graduation stage, citing safety considerations. The college has not supplied extra particulars concerning the nature of the threats, and the LAPD mentioned it had not obtained studies of threats to Tabassum or the graduation.
In an interview on the time, Guzman, the provost, mentioned Folt was not behind the choice to cancel the speech. A day later, Joel Curran, USC’s senior vp of communications, contradicted Guzman, saying the ultimate resolution was certainly the president’s.
Some college, directors and fogeys of scholars questioned why the choice course of didn’t embody vetting of social media. Though the provost cited “the expectations of federal regulators” in explaining why Tabassum’s speech was canceled, many college noticed a transparent need to forestall the kind of congressional hearings on antisemitism that wrought havoc for the presidents of Harvard, Columbia and the College of Pennsylvania.
“It’s a part of bigger crises in academia,” mentioned Nguyen. “Universities are below a right-wing assault.”
Professional-Palestinian demonstrators at USC on Wednesday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Instances)
By April 18, tons of have been marching on campus in help of Tabassum’s acknowledged perception that she was being “silenced” for her race, faith and political beliefs. Tabassum mentioned in an interview that she had no plans to immediately handle the Israeli-Palestinian battle at commencement however wished to speak about “hope.” She mentioned she will not be antisemitic and had by no means publicly been an activist for the pro-Palestinian trigger.
On April 19, the “primary stage” graduation was diminished additional when the college canceled an handle by director Jon M. Chu of “Loopy Wealthy Asians.” It additionally nixed the awarding of honorary levels on the ceremony to recipients together with tennis star Billie Jean King.
Curran mentioned the college didn’t need to put outdoors friends in an “awkward state of affairs” the place they’d really feel pressured to talk out about Tabassum or take sides within the Israel-Hamas battle.
A spokeswoman for the USC Faculty of Cinematic Arts, which helped recruit Chu, cited “safety considerations.”
Tensions have been mounting. The ACLU and the Council on American-Islamic Relations had gotten concerned, providing help to Tabassum. The USC Chabad Jewish middle known as out the college for blaming safety whereas accusing it of failing to handle questions of antisemitism head-on in a time of rising anti-Jewish hatred.
The occasions additionally tore at precarious bridges constructed between Muslims and the administration after scholar complaints in recent times of anti-Muslim bias on campus.
Members of the Advisory Committee on Muslim Life at USC — made up of scholars, college and employees — wrote to Folt, asking her to rethink the Tabassum resolution by April 19. After they mentioned they didn’t hear again, greater than half the members resigned.
“It’s a bewildering time,” mentioned Aisha Patel, a graduate scholar in communication research who was amongst those that resigned. “I hope that is the tipping level of true change and that the administration begins listening and having deep conversations.”
The following evening, Folt appeared at a $550-per-person alumni gala at a Fairmont Century Plaza ballroom. In a quick handle, she acknowledged legal professional, investor and philanthropist Charles Griffin Cale, who was awarded USC’s highest alumni achievement prize.
Protesters are held in an LAPD van after being arrested on campus Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
The president didn’t talk about the speech cancellation.
Throughout the nation, pro-Palestinian activists at faculties and universities have been mounting encampments, modeled after one at Columbia College. Greater than 50 tents went up at UC Berkeley, whereas Cal Poly Humboldt closed its campus after pro-Palestinian activists barricaded themselves in college buildings.
USC activists, newly energized and angered over Tabassum, raised tents earlier than dawn on Wednesday. By morning, they hung “Free Palestine” and “Liberated Zone” banners and posters throughout Alumni Park, the normal website of the “primary stage” commencement ceremony.
Campus safety instructed the rising crowd that tents and indicators on timber weren’t allowed and that microphones have been banned. Some scuffles ensued as USC safety officers tried to dismantle the encampment earlier than relenting below strain from crowds chanting “disgrace.”
LAPD helicopters circled above. USC shut off public entry to campus. Guzman, the provost, instructed tutorial deans that professors may transfer lessons on-line.
LAPD officers in riot gear staged outdoors the gates. Shortly after 5 p.m., dozens of officers marched onto campus, and an hours-long standoff with protesters started. By the night, police had arrested 93 folks, lots of them college students, and moved the remaining crowd off campus.
Nguyen, the professor, was among the many protesters. “These have been college students with direct calls for. They need the divestment from ties to a genocide,” he mentioned — a reference to investments in weapons firms with ties to the battle in Gaza.
USC has not mentioned whether or not it has these sorts of investments. Specialists on endowments say that universities usually have such monetary ties by endowment portfolios. In an announcement final yr on tutorial boycotts of Israel, one other demand of protesters, USC mentioned it rejected them “on the grounds {that a} sturdy mental atmosphere requires the free and civil change of concepts.”
Many Jewish teams have known as the divestment motion antisemitic, saying it goals to isolate and de-legitimatize the Jewish homeland.
By Thursday morning, the USC campus was calm. Employees cleared remaining tents from Alumni Park and put in white fencing for an annual graduate brunch.
In one other space, Jewish college students arrange lengthy tables for a Passover Seder that featured images of hostages who’re believed to nonetheless stay in Gaza after the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, which killed 1,200 folks and took roughly 240 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory battle has killed greater than 34,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza well being authorities, and the United Nations says roughly 2 million Gazans reside in near-famine circumstances.
Folt tried privately to chill the tensions.
Following an earlier name with a member of the Advisory Committee on Muslim Life, she wrote again to the resigned members, saying she hoped they’d rethink however revered their resolution, the members mentioned this week at a information convention. The identical day, she known as the campus Chabad Rabbi, Dov Wagner, providing her help for the Jewish neighborhood, the rabbi mentioned in an interview.
Noon Thursday, a message went up on the USC web site. The “primary stage” graduation was canceled totally, as a result of new safety measures wouldn’t enable for the processing of a lot of friends, the message mentioned. Greater than two dozen satellite tv for pc commencements for particular person faculties and colleges would proceed. However there can be new safety checks — X-rays and metallic detectors — and an eight-ticket most per graduating scholar.
A graduating senior went viral on TikTok along with her displeasure. Mother and father known as, frightened that they wouldn’t be capable of convey massive households to have fun.
“What they did was rob these college students, many who didn’t have a conventional commencement in 2020 due to COVID, of one more commencement,” mentioned Devin Griffiths, an affiliate professor of English and comparative literature. “Now we have introduced up college students to imagine they need to be forthright, engaged residents who discuss overtly about their beliefs and disagreements. As a substitute, we shut graduation and ship them to jail.”
Scholar activists weren’t deterred. They staged a die-in at Founders Park.
“Disclose! Divest! We won’t cease! We won’t relaxation,” college students shouted.
The Founders Park protest continued by Friday afternoon, when Folt launched her campus letter to college students, college, employees and alumni.
“This week, Alumni Park turned unsafe. Nobody needs to have folks arrested on their campus. Ever,” she wrote. “However, when long-standing security insurance policies are flagrantly violated, buildings vandalized, [Department of Public Safety] directives repeatedly ignored, threatening language shouted, folks assaulted, and entry to important tutorial buildings blocked, we should act instantly to guard our neighborhood.”
A university-wide e-mail then went out, saying that unregistered friends would stay blocked from getting into the usually open campus by Might 8.
It additionally mentioned that “no social occasions” have been allowed in the course of the interval that included the end-of-year “research days” and closing exams. The rule is written within the scholar handbook however hardly ever enforced. The e-mail advised that extra protesting wouldn’t be tolerated, saying that no “disruptive actions could happen.”
On Friday night, the LAPD and campus safety have been current on the protest. And the tents, cleared out earlier, had returned.
Instances employees author Jenna Peterson contributed to this report.
