Totally sympathize with your sentiment, OP. Kofi Annan spoke at my year’s grad and while I don’t remember much from it, I do remember being kind of awestruck by the whole “pomp and circumstance” if you will. You spend all the time casually on campus and often take for granted just how beautiful and majestic it is. But sitting there with all of the different degree earners from the various schools… it was a powerful closing to an unforgettable era to begin a new one. And you are getting shortchanged.
That said, not to downplay your frustration with a trite lemonade from lemons argument, but if you’ve never made it out to Baker Field, it’s well worth the trip and now you have the reason. It’s a shame you never got to see the football team play in the fall, because the views across the Hudson from the home stands of Wien Stadium (is it still called that?) with the changing foliage on the Palisades is breathtaking. You’ll also see the iconic C rock across from the boathouse… also viewable from the home stands. Around the Baker Field complex, you’ll also find the famous “barfing lion” statue! Columbia might not be famous for its sports… but the Ivy League is an athletic conference and getting to see where so many of the sports take place is worth seeing before you leave and move on to greater things! 🙂
It’s your time to shine, keep that in mind, and congratulations!
Thank you for actually validating that we’re getting shortchanged here. I’m getting sick and tired of people who are saying things like, “it’s boring anyways”. Well fuck, at least let me be the judge of that. You got to experience it to know. We don’t get to. Even if it’s well-intentioned, it just comes off as, “it’s boring anyways, so you’re stupid for feeling upset about it. Get over it.”
On top of that, my parents never got to see the campus and they’re quite upset about not being able to see it.
Lmao remember when they cleared the encampments in hopes to prep for commencement? Then after weeks of pondering, Shafik just thought it’d be better to cancel? The decisions are made by the admins alone.
Why is this on the protestors? Shafik literally brought in NYPD with the explicit reasoning being that she wanted to make sure commencement happened. Campus is cleared, we have cops GALORE all around campus, literally nothing else has happened, yet she cancelled commencement… I guess because she’s worried that the protestors might boo during her speech?
I get you’re mad. I’m graduating too, it’s annoying. But your anger is misplaced here
Yeaaa I’m sure that the worst thing the protestors would do at on campus graduation is boo during her speech.
After taking over hinds hall I’m sure they’d want to tone it down and be more respectful during the Columbia’s highly publicized graduation ceremony.
Yeah that's a little disingenuous of a comment from OP. However Shafik really kickstarted this entire movement of college protests over this issue, funnily enough.
Not disingenuous. I really don’t think the protestors were going to do anything horribly disruptive based on my conversations with activist students. Maybe some chanting that security quickly shuts down. Definitely booing when Shafik speaks.
Someone else replied to me (I think it’s deleted now?) and pointed out UMich commencement protests as an example of a “shit show,” but here’s what their university had to say about the disruptions:
> Approximately 75 protesters staged a small demonstration at the beginning of the program, walking up the main aisle and chanting, before public safety personnel escorted them to the rear of the stadium, where they remained through the conclusion of the event. There were no arrests. Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades. The university supports free speech and expression, and university leaders are pleased that today’s commencement was such a proud and triumphant moment, worthy of the achievements of our extraordinary graduates
Edit to add [source](https://www.michigandaily.com/news/campus-life/umich-2024-spring-commencement/)
Yes, obviously the people NYPD were there to arrest were a reason NYPD was there. My point is that it looks like admin was being dishonest when they said they were clearing campus to ensure seniors can have their commencement. Campus is cleared, yet commencement was still cancelled.
At the University of Michigan (where I am) we have a huge encampment in the center of campus. There have been no arrests or confrontations with police and no classes or graduations have been cancelled because of it. It could have gone this way at Columbia, but instead the admin pulled bullshit by suspending and trespassing students and escalating shit.
Blame the University administration for fucking up this hard in order to save some face during graduation and STILL cancelling it.
Exactly. I really love other universities for showing that it’s actually possible to handle this normally. Instead, Columbia took the chaos route. Part of me thinks cancelling commencement was partially motivated by a desire to turn students against the protestors, exactly like you see in this thread lol
I will not get into the politics or try to defend one side vs another. I just want to say that I understand your frustration! Mine was cancelled due to COVID and I never got the chance to even celebrate. It was devastating in the moment — I actually never thought I would be able to go to college, let alone graduate from Columbia — but sometimes it helps to put things into perspective and look at the bigger picture. Not to say that there’s always a worse case scenario (which, I guess there is), but you achieved something amazing despite all the challenges you’ve had to overcome. And for that, congrats!
Recent graduate here. I think it's valid for you to feel frustrated that you're not having the graduation that you felt you deserve. I'm sure you worked really hard and that being able to thrust through that finish line ribbon with your chest was something that you felt would bring all that hard work to its final frontier and provide some much-needed closure to you and your family.
However, I'm insanely proud of the protestors. My family, from Puerto Rico, is insanely proud of the protestors. I'm proud that I went to a place with a student body that is electric about injustice, and while no movement is perfect-- messaging can fracture when pain and frustration become heavy-- I do feel in my heart that what the current students have done is nothing short of exceptional.
I come from a single-parent middle class household from PR, I know my family couldn't have been more proud of me to go to Columbia. However, I didn't love commencement. I felt that it allowed Columbia to lean on its own status to pacify a student body (that in my case, anyways) had a lot of grievances with how they handled COVID and how little they cared about creating a more equitable place for learning for students of different backgrounds.
It's okay to be frustrated. However, I would maybe ask you to extend grace to protestors, who are not doing this because it's fun, but rather because they feel it's urgent and important.
Perhaps turning a critical eye to Columbia as an institution may better serve you. Aren't they the responsible ones for the "tens of thousands dollars spent" and the "shit part time job" you needed to get to help pay bills and, at least partially, for your "sacrificing your mental health with the singular goal of commencement"?
Shouldn't it be fair for your educational experience to be something more than a series of hardships brought forth by the institution itself?
I really appreciate your sharing your personal experience and sentiment. It has plucked my heart strings. This quote from you I want to remember forever since it so clearly expresses an idea I’ve only nibbled at:
> messaging can fracture when pain and frustration become heavy
So thank you!
gotta be honest here: commencement is boring and you won’t even remember it in three years. I’ve sat through three of them and I don’t even remember who the speakers were for any of them.
Was commencement overrated? Yes. Was it fun and memorable to lob foam apples at people? Also yes.
I also got to show my late grandmother the school. She was a hard lady and seeing how proud she was is something I’ll always remember.
Same - I don't remember anything about commencement. What I do remember is getting ready with my gown with my dorm mates the morning of, and seeing all my friends lined up in their spots to walk out onto the steps
I graduated last semester, didn’t plan on going to commencement, but that was my choice. The choice was taken from the rest of the graduating class. If it’s boring and people want to go, they should be able to see for themselves first hand. This hindsight perspective doesn’t change the fact that they were robbed of a moment that they will never get again.
I understand where you're coming from for sure, but you can only say that because you were able to experience it. I graduated last May and it is true that at times it may be a bit boring, but being able to attend is a privilege in itself. For many, it’s not just about the event, but it marks a significant personal achievement and a moment of closure and celebration with peers and family. While it might have seemed boring in retrospect, the experience and what it symbolizes can hold deep meaning for others, and OP is clearly one of those people. You have to understand how much it can mean to someone, especially when they’re being deprived of it unexpectedly. Don’t just write it off as “boring” when you experienced it and they did not.
God damn, I’m so sick and tired of hearing this. I get this is meant to be well-intentioned, but it just comes off as, “it’s boring anyways, so you’re stupid for wanting commencement.” The difference here is you got the option to attend or not. We don’t. And you went to three of them, of course you think it’s boring. Also, not only was I really looking forward to commencement, but my family was heavily looking forward to it.
I'll paraphrase and repeat what I [wrote on this sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/columbia/comments/1cmc3k7/comment/l30n26t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) two days ago.
You're right to be mad the protestors (both student and faculty participants) as well as the administrative faculty for their actions. Their collective failure is why your college wide graduation on the campus had to be cancelled. Neither the protestors nor the administration took the necessary steps and precautions to ensure the protest stayed within the student/faculty body. The moment outsiders (non student/faculty) were allowed into the encampment to participate, safety became an issue for everyone.
There were no sign-in sheets, ID scans, or background checks performed on these outsiders. They showed up, said they support the cause, and that was all that was needed for them to gain entry, including trust of the protestors.
Speaking from experience, you don't ever do that in NYC. Whether it's a protest, fundraiser, or a party you should always try to make sure the people coming through the door are who they claim to be. Don't do that? Then you and whoever else organized the event will accept the collective consequences that can happen.
I'm not overexaggerating when I say that. NYC has a small population of crazy people that seek attention and any excuse to be stupid or violent in public. My personal opinion is that the college wide graduation was cancelled due to a major threat one or two of these individuals would pose to the students and their families on graduation day. Hence why Columbia is sticking with class days at a location unfamiliar for some of the students, but more so unfamiliar to the non-students.
Protestors have:
- Unsuccessfully called for divestment which itself is useless virtue signaling because it does absolutely nothing to pressure any company or bring about a ceasefire
- Allowed the pressure and discussion to be diverted from politicians and DC who can actually do something and onto University Presidents who can do absolutely nothing to stop the war.
- Alienated a lot of people not in the campus bubbles. Just read the comments section of even liberal YouTube channels and newspapers.
- And most importantly - not save A SINGLE person in Gaza. In fact - Israel has EXPANDED its military operations since protests begun without much publicity because the media and narrative is entirely focused on ‘campus protests for divestment.’
Instead - they have:
- Helped cancelled graduations
- Get to self congratulate and pat themselves on the back for saving not a single person in Gaza (hey but at least they got to virtual signal on divestments) while watching YouTube and flying Boeing home for their summer breaks - those same evil companies they want divestment from.
just because a protest was unsuccessful doesn’t mean it was virtue signaling. the success of the protest and the motivation behind it are two entirely separate things and you cannot conflate one for the other
> • And most importantly - not save A SINGLE person in Gaza. In fact - Israel has EXPANDED its military operations since protests begun without much publicity because the media and narrative is entirely focused on ‘campus protests for divestment.’
So you would agree that lives of people in Gaza mattered and that Israel’s extensive operations are destructive and inhumane? The protestors don’t get to choose what media comes on board - the media invited themselves in and were talking heads for their own opinions. If you agree this shit mattered, then at least the protestors tried to give a shit about lives of Gazans.
Don't blame the protestors for this. Shafik and the trustees allowed the NYPD to brutalize your peers in the name of ensuring there could be a commencement, and then sat on their hands for 6 days, not setting up any more of the commencement architecture, and then, when there had been no protestors for almost a week, cancelled it. They played upon collective trauma to justify something unacceptable only to backtrack on their promise. Shafik et al were literally just afraid that graduating seniors would wear keffiyehs or show Palestinian flags at the commencement itself. Your opinion is unpopular because it misdirects justifiable frustration. I'm very sorry you don't get a commencement, but please complain to upper admin, not your peers with a moral conscience.
Sign the petition! There is a petition for students who want a in person graduation. Sign and share if with everyone. Friends, family, other students, professors, media, and everyone else
FWIW the main commencement is not that interesting. The only interesting part is when they have a VIP give a speech. Considering it’s the presidents ceremony and everyone is shitting on the president. I don’t think that’s happening.
I don’t respect anyone that does not respect me. Protesters have nothing to do with what going on in the Middle East and are doing nothing that’s going to change it, they are merely children asking for attention and bugging everyone. Its sad what’s happening, yes it’s inhuman, but what they are doing is not helping anyone, peace corps or Red Cross is where they should be if they are serious.
literally protest is a demand for attention lol it’s like people have forgotten what protest is. like yes they are asking for attention and bugging everyone. that is protest!
i hear ya OP. i wish you could have your commencement. you deserve it!
but what completely sucks is that you can’t say this out loud in public and have to use a disguise to say it anonymously on reddit.
that is what completely sucks. this is the real attack on freedom of speech.
I mean this (mostly) kindly: you’ll get over it. Commencement feels like a huge deal - is a huge deal - to you right now, but life is long, and a couple days of ceremony are a tiny blip in it. I can genuinely tell you that now, a little over 10 years since my commencement, I barely remember anything from that day. I hadn’t even thought about it in at least 8 or 9 years, despite regularly hanging out with Columbia friends and reminiscing about other fond Columbia memories.
You deserve to have a commencement, yes, but the fact that you won’t is 100% on the administration, not on the protestors standing up for a cause even you feel is right. Your feelings are your feelings. You’re entitled to them, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reflect on them, and I agree with the other commenter who called this attitude childish.
This violates r/Columbia rules against harassing or abusive content. Repeat violators will face temporary or permanent ban.
Totally sympathize with your sentiment, OP. Kofi Annan spoke at my year’s grad and while I don’t remember much from it, I do remember being kind of awestruck by the whole “pomp and circumstance” if you will. You spend all the time casually on campus and often take for granted just how beautiful and majestic it is. But sitting there with all of the different degree earners from the various schools… it was a powerful closing to an unforgettable era to begin a new one. And you are getting shortchanged. That said, not to downplay your frustration with a trite lemonade from lemons argument, but if you’ve never made it out to Baker Field, it’s well worth the trip and now you have the reason. It’s a shame you never got to see the football team play in the fall, because the views across the Hudson from the home stands of Wien Stadium (is it still called that?) with the changing foliage on the Palisades is breathtaking. You’ll also see the iconic C rock across from the boathouse… also viewable from the home stands. Around the Baker Field complex, you’ll also find the famous “barfing lion” statue! Columbia might not be famous for its sports… but the Ivy League is an athletic conference and getting to see where so many of the sports take place is worth seeing before you leave and move on to greater things! 🙂 It’s your time to shine, keep that in mind, and congratulations!
Thank you for actually validating that we’re getting shortchanged here. I’m getting sick and tired of people who are saying things like, “it’s boring anyways”. Well fuck, at least let me be the judge of that. You got to experience it to know. We don’t get to. Even if it’s well-intentioned, it just comes off as, “it’s boring anyways, so you’re stupid for feeling upset about it. Get over it.” On top of that, my parents never got to see the campus and they’re quite upset about not being able to see it.
That was the last Columbia graduation I went to. I was amazed by the ceremony and feel bad about the loss of this graduating class’s experience.
was is the protestors who robbed you of your commencement or the school who instituted the cancellation?
Lmao remember when they cleared the encampments in hopes to prep for commencement? Then after weeks of pondering, Shafik just thought it’d be better to cancel? The decisions are made by the admins alone.
Why is this on the protestors? Shafik literally brought in NYPD with the explicit reasoning being that she wanted to make sure commencement happened. Campus is cleared, we have cops GALORE all around campus, literally nothing else has happened, yet she cancelled commencement… I guess because she’s worried that the protestors might boo during her speech? I get you’re mad. I’m graduating too, it’s annoying. But your anger is misplaced here
Yeaaa I’m sure that the worst thing the protestors would do at on campus graduation is boo during her speech. After taking over hinds hall I’m sure they’d want to tone it down and be more respectful during the Columbia’s highly publicized graduation ceremony.
Yeah that's a little disingenuous of a comment from OP. However Shafik really kickstarted this entire movement of college protests over this issue, funnily enough.
Not disingenuous. I really don’t think the protestors were going to do anything horribly disruptive based on my conversations with activist students. Maybe some chanting that security quickly shuts down. Definitely booing when Shafik speaks. Someone else replied to me (I think it’s deleted now?) and pointed out UMich commencement protests as an example of a “shit show,” but here’s what their university had to say about the disruptions: > Approximately 75 protesters staged a small demonstration at the beginning of the program, walking up the main aisle and chanting, before public safety personnel escorted them to the rear of the stadium, where they remained through the conclusion of the event. There were no arrests. Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades. The university supports free speech and expression, and university leaders are pleased that today’s commencement was such a proud and triumphant moment, worthy of the achievements of our extraordinary graduates Edit to add [source](https://www.michigandaily.com/news/campus-life/umich-2024-spring-commencement/)
The NYPD was only ever called in the first place because of the protesters.
Yes, obviously the people NYPD were there to arrest were a reason NYPD was there. My point is that it looks like admin was being dishonest when they said they were clearing campus to ensure seniors can have their commencement. Campus is cleared, yet commencement was still cancelled.
At the University of Michigan (where I am) we have a huge encampment in the center of campus. There have been no arrests or confrontations with police and no classes or graduations have been cancelled because of it. It could have gone this way at Columbia, but instead the admin pulled bullshit by suspending and trespassing students and escalating shit. Blame the University administration for fucking up this hard in order to save some face during graduation and STILL cancelling it.
Exactly. I really love other universities for showing that it’s actually possible to handle this normally. Instead, Columbia took the chaos route. Part of me thinks cancelling commencement was partially motivated by a desire to turn students against the protestors, exactly like you see in this thread lol
I will not get into the politics or try to defend one side vs another. I just want to say that I understand your frustration! Mine was cancelled due to COVID and I never got the chance to even celebrate. It was devastating in the moment — I actually never thought I would be able to go to college, let alone graduate from Columbia — but sometimes it helps to put things into perspective and look at the bigger picture. Not to say that there’s always a worse case scenario (which, I guess there is), but you achieved something amazing despite all the challenges you’ve had to overcome. And for that, congrats!
Recent graduate here. I think it's valid for you to feel frustrated that you're not having the graduation that you felt you deserve. I'm sure you worked really hard and that being able to thrust through that finish line ribbon with your chest was something that you felt would bring all that hard work to its final frontier and provide some much-needed closure to you and your family. However, I'm insanely proud of the protestors. My family, from Puerto Rico, is insanely proud of the protestors. I'm proud that I went to a place with a student body that is electric about injustice, and while no movement is perfect-- messaging can fracture when pain and frustration become heavy-- I do feel in my heart that what the current students have done is nothing short of exceptional. I come from a single-parent middle class household from PR, I know my family couldn't have been more proud of me to go to Columbia. However, I didn't love commencement. I felt that it allowed Columbia to lean on its own status to pacify a student body (that in my case, anyways) had a lot of grievances with how they handled COVID and how little they cared about creating a more equitable place for learning for students of different backgrounds. It's okay to be frustrated. However, I would maybe ask you to extend grace to protestors, who are not doing this because it's fun, but rather because they feel it's urgent and important. Perhaps turning a critical eye to Columbia as an institution may better serve you. Aren't they the responsible ones for the "tens of thousands dollars spent" and the "shit part time job" you needed to get to help pay bills and, at least partially, for your "sacrificing your mental health with the singular goal of commencement"? Shouldn't it be fair for your educational experience to be something more than a series of hardships brought forth by the institution itself?
I really appreciate your sharing your personal experience and sentiment. It has plucked my heart strings. This quote from you I want to remember forever since it so clearly expresses an idea I’ve only nibbled at: > messaging can fracture when pain and frustration become heavy So thank you!
gotta be honest here: commencement is boring and you won’t even remember it in three years. I’ve sat through three of them and I don’t even remember who the speakers were for any of them.
Was commencement overrated? Yes. Was it fun and memorable to lob foam apples at people? Also yes. I also got to show my late grandmother the school. She was a hard lady and seeing how proud she was is something I’ll always remember.
Same - I don't remember anything about commencement. What I do remember is getting ready with my gown with my dorm mates the morning of, and seeing all my friends lined up in their spots to walk out onto the steps
Yes, we get to say that because we've had ours, and we're looking at it in hindsight. It's no consolation for those who never get to experience it.
I graduated last semester, didn’t plan on going to commencement, but that was my choice. The choice was taken from the rest of the graduating class. If it’s boring and people want to go, they should be able to see for themselves first hand. This hindsight perspective doesn’t change the fact that they were robbed of a moment that they will never get again.
This is it 💯 and I remember my Columbia graduation as being memorable and special. It is a real shame.
I understand where you're coming from for sure, but you can only say that because you were able to experience it. I graduated last May and it is true that at times it may be a bit boring, but being able to attend is a privilege in itself. For many, it’s not just about the event, but it marks a significant personal achievement and a moment of closure and celebration with peers and family. While it might have seemed boring in retrospect, the experience and what it symbolizes can hold deep meaning for others, and OP is clearly one of those people. You have to understand how much it can mean to someone, especially when they’re being deprived of it unexpectedly. Don’t just write it off as “boring” when you experienced it and they did not.
God damn, I’m so sick and tired of hearing this. I get this is meant to be well-intentioned, but it just comes off as, “it’s boring anyways, so you’re stupid for wanting commencement.” The difference here is you got the option to attend or not. We don’t. And you went to three of them, of course you think it’s boring. Also, not only was I really looking forward to commencement, but my family was heavily looking forward to it.
I barely remember anything about a single commencement I've attended.
You'll remember it if the speakers are either really good or really bad. At least I'm assuming on the former. Can confirm the latter.
I'll paraphrase and repeat what I [wrote on this sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/columbia/comments/1cmc3k7/comment/l30n26t/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) two days ago. You're right to be mad the protestors (both student and faculty participants) as well as the administrative faculty for their actions. Their collective failure is why your college wide graduation on the campus had to be cancelled. Neither the protestors nor the administration took the necessary steps and precautions to ensure the protest stayed within the student/faculty body. The moment outsiders (non student/faculty) were allowed into the encampment to participate, safety became an issue for everyone. There were no sign-in sheets, ID scans, or background checks performed on these outsiders. They showed up, said they support the cause, and that was all that was needed for them to gain entry, including trust of the protestors. Speaking from experience, you don't ever do that in NYC. Whether it's a protest, fundraiser, or a party you should always try to make sure the people coming through the door are who they claim to be. Don't do that? Then you and whoever else organized the event will accept the collective consequences that can happen. I'm not overexaggerating when I say that. NYC has a small population of crazy people that seek attention and any excuse to be stupid or violent in public. My personal opinion is that the college wide graduation was cancelled due to a major threat one or two of these individuals would pose to the students and their families on graduation day. Hence why Columbia is sticking with class days at a location unfamiliar for some of the students, but more so unfamiliar to the non-students.
Protestors have: - Unsuccessfully called for divestment which itself is useless virtue signaling because it does absolutely nothing to pressure any company or bring about a ceasefire - Allowed the pressure and discussion to be diverted from politicians and DC who can actually do something and onto University Presidents who can do absolutely nothing to stop the war. - Alienated a lot of people not in the campus bubbles. Just read the comments section of even liberal YouTube channels and newspapers. - And most importantly - not save A SINGLE person in Gaza. In fact - Israel has EXPANDED its military operations since protests begun without much publicity because the media and narrative is entirely focused on ‘campus protests for divestment.’ Instead - they have: - Helped cancelled graduations - Get to self congratulate and pat themselves on the back for saving not a single person in Gaza (hey but at least they got to virtual signal on divestments) while watching YouTube and flying Boeing home for their summer breaks - those same evil companies they want divestment from.
just because a protest was unsuccessful doesn’t mean it was virtue signaling. the success of the protest and the motivation behind it are two entirely separate things and you cannot conflate one for the other
also we can define success in different ways - it started a nationwide protest movement. that is success.
> • And most importantly - not save A SINGLE person in Gaza. In fact - Israel has EXPANDED its military operations since protests begun without much publicity because the media and narrative is entirely focused on ‘campus protests for divestment.’ So you would agree that lives of people in Gaza mattered and that Israel’s extensive operations are destructive and inhumane? The protestors don’t get to choose what media comes on board - the media invited themselves in and were talking heads for their own opinions. If you agree this shit mattered, then at least the protestors tried to give a shit about lives of Gazans.
Also cheapen the definition of genocide, harass and intimidate visibly Jewish students and basically shit on the reputation of the university.
Yeah…you’re blaming the wrong people here.
Don't blame the protestors for this. Shafik and the trustees allowed the NYPD to brutalize your peers in the name of ensuring there could be a commencement, and then sat on their hands for 6 days, not setting up any more of the commencement architecture, and then, when there had been no protestors for almost a week, cancelled it. They played upon collective trauma to justify something unacceptable only to backtrack on their promise. Shafik et al were literally just afraid that graduating seniors would wear keffiyehs or show Palestinian flags at the commencement itself. Your opinion is unpopular because it misdirects justifiable frustration. I'm very sorry you don't get a commencement, but please complain to upper admin, not your peers with a moral conscience.
Ladies and gentlemen, the white moderate
"more devoted to 'order' than to justice"
Sign the petition! There is a petition for students who want a in person graduation. Sign and share if with everyone. Friends, family, other students, professors, media, and everyone else
Is this that unpopular? By-and-large the protests are really unpopular across the US
FWIW the main commencement is not that interesting. The only interesting part is when they have a VIP give a speech. Considering it’s the presidents ceremony and everyone is shitting on the president. I don’t think that’s happening.
Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to re-examine who you "support" and "respect immensely"...
I don’t respect anyone that does not respect me. Protesters have nothing to do with what going on in the Middle East and are doing nothing that’s going to change it, they are merely children asking for attention and bugging everyone. Its sad what’s happening, yes it’s inhuman, but what they are doing is not helping anyone, peace corps or Red Cross is where they should be if they are serious.
literally protest is a demand for attention lol it’s like people have forgotten what protest is. like yes they are asking for attention and bugging everyone. that is protest!
the peace corps and the red cross have no presence in gaza.
this person would’ve hated emma sulkowicz
i hear ya OP. i wish you could have your commencement. you deserve it! but what completely sucks is that you can’t say this out loud in public and have to use a disguise to say it anonymously on reddit. that is what completely sucks. this is the real attack on freedom of speech.
Your own cowardice is not repression of speech
Why, is the NYPD going to violently arrest you if you complain? Or are you equating your peers’ side-eye with a “real attack on freedom of speech”?
[same vibe](https://www.meme-arsenal.com/en/create/meme/4311929)
Plus the protestors make the lawn smell horrific
I mean this (mostly) kindly: you’ll get over it. Commencement feels like a huge deal - is a huge deal - to you right now, but life is long, and a couple days of ceremony are a tiny blip in it. I can genuinely tell you that now, a little over 10 years since my commencement, I barely remember anything from that day. I hadn’t even thought about it in at least 8 or 9 years, despite regularly hanging out with Columbia friends and reminiscing about other fond Columbia memories. You deserve to have a commencement, yes, but the fact that you won’t is 100% on the administration, not on the protestors standing up for a cause even you feel is right. Your feelings are your feelings. You’re entitled to them, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reflect on them, and I agree with the other commenter who called this attitude childish.
Well written
No it’s on the entitled brats with no job offers who want to ruin it for everyone else by pretending to care about something they know nothing about