Latest news with #AlpharettaHighSchool
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Metro Atlanta student banned from MIT graduation ceremony after Palestine comments
A metro Atlanta student, set to speak at her university's degree ceremony, was forced to sit it out. The decision came after she made comments in support of Palestine a day earlier. 'You showed the world that MIT wanted a free Palestine,' said Megha Vemuri while speaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement ceremony last Thursday as the class president. It is where she made comments about not just Palestine, but also criticized the university. 'You stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian activists on campus, you faced threats, intimidation, and suppression coming from especially your own university officials,' added Vemuri, who is an Alpharetta High School alum. After her speech, MIT decided that Vemuri, who had a role in an undergraduate degree ceremony the next day, couldn't attend. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The speech wasn't the one Vemuri provided to officials beforehand. The university said in a statement, in part, 'the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony.' 'I stand by and agree with MIT in what their decision happened to be,' Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of the Hillels of Georgia told Channel 2's Candace McCowan. Sernovitz works with college students, and said this wasn't the time or place for the comments. 'Universities have a duty not just to their students but to the United States to make sure students don't feel intimidated, harassed, or oppressed on campus,' Sernovitz said. 'You want to protest, that's fine, but not at graduation. Give people the freedom to celebrate their academic achievements and not have to worry that when they sit there, excited and celebrating, they're going to have to hear anti-Israel, anti-Jewish propaganda.' While Vemuri wasn't allowed at the degree ceremony, she did receive her degree. Channel 2 reached out to Vemuri, but didn't hear back. TRENDING STORIES: Governor's office said it will start issuing special tax refund checks this week PHOTOS: 'Itsy-Bitsy, Teenie-Tiny' town is Georgia's third most visited Midtown Taco Mac abruptly closes, second location to do so in as many months [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Class president banned from MIT graduation over pro-Palestine speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology banned the 2025 class president from Friday's commencement ceremony after comments she made at a ceremony earlier in the week. During Thursday's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony, Class President, and graduate of Alpharetta High School, Megha Vemuri delivered a speech in which she made statements in support of Palestine. 'You have taken the obstacle of fear before and you turned it into fuel,' she told fellow graduates. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] She goes on to say that last year, the student body voted to cut ties with the Israeli military and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Vemuri continued by critiquing the university, saying that students faced threats and intimidation 'especially from your own university officials.' 'We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it's a shame that MIT is a part of it,' Vemuri said. 'We will carry with us the stamp of the MIT name. The same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.' Though they did not name Vemuri, MIT confirmed in a statement to Channel 2 Action News that a graduating senior delivered a speech at the OneMIT Commencement Ceremony on Thursday that was not the speech she had gotten approved. TRENDING STORIES: Burned body found at Stone Mountain Park, GBI on scene 'Honestly, I just miss my wife': Alpharetta newlyweds separated after ICE arrests wife 'The Wire' actor says his son is improving after being thrown 300 feet when tornado hit They say that the same student was set to speak at Friday's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, but "was notified that she would not be permitted at that day's events." "MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony," the statement went on to say. Earlier in the week, the online program for Friday's commencement ceremony included an introduction by Vemuri. During the ceremony, MIT President Sally Kornbluth delivered introductory remarks. MIT confirmed that although the student was banned from the ceremony, she will receive her degree. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Indian-American Megha Vemuri? Meet pro-Palestine MIT student calling out Israel's 'genocide'
Indian-American student Megha Vemuri Israel's 'genocide' in commencement speech (Pic credit: @KassyAkiva) If you haven't heard the name Megha Vemuri yet, you're about to. This 2025 MIT graduate has quickly become a lightning rod for attention, not because of a new tech invention or start-up, but because of a powerful, controversial commencement speech that's got people talking across the country. Megha, the president of MIT's Class of 2025, used her big moment on stage to do something most students wouldn't dare, call out her own university's connections to the Israeli military and express loud, clear support for the people of Palestine. It all happened on May 29 during MIT's graduation ceremony, and let's just say, it wasn't your typical feel-good, thank-your-parents kind of speech. Wearing a red keffiyeh, a traditional scarf that's come to symbolize Palestine, Megha stepped up to the mic and delivered some serious truth bombs. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' she told her classmates, giving a nod to the student votes calling for MIT to cut research ties with the Israeli military. And she wasn't shy about calling out the administration either, saying students had faced 'threats, intimidation, and suppression' from the very institution they were graduating from. She is currently pursuing Bachelor's degree, Computer Science + Neuroscience, Linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to this, she studied at Alpharetta High School. The most powerful part When she contrasted their celebration with the current devastation in Gaza. 'Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza,' she said. Megha wasn't just speaking in theory, she laid out real concerns about MIT's active research connections with Israeli forces, saying they're 'the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with.' And she made it clear: graduates should take that activism beyond campus, push for an arms embargo, and keep the pressure on institutions that prop up injustice. The room's reaction? A mix of support and discomfort. Some grads broke out in chants of 'Free, Free Palestine!' and waved flags. Others looked uneasy, clearly not expecting a commencement address to veer into global politics. As for MIT's president, Sally Kornbluth, she followed Megha at the podium, kept things neutral, and stuck to defending free speech, without directly addressing what was said. Now, if you're wondering whether this was a one-off moment for Megha, it absolutely wasn't. She's been involved in activism and advocacy throughout her time at MIT. She led a project called 'Written Revolution,' worked as a research assistant at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and has always been one of those students pushing for deeper conversations around justice, identity, and global responsibility. Her speech isn't just making waves because it was fiery, it's part of a larger trend. More and more, students like Megha are using traditional academic spaces to take a stand on major global issues. Whether it's climate change, racial justice, or war and occupation, today's students aren't afraid to speak their minds, even in the most formal of settings. Of course, all this hasn't come without backlash. Some critics say a graduation ceremony isn't the place for political statements. Others argue that pointing fingers at institutions like MIT without considering the complexities of global politics is irresponsible. Love her speech or not, Megha Vemuri made sure people paid attention. In a cap, gown, and keffiyeh, she turned a graduation stage into a platform for truth-telling, and reminded everyone that even the most prestigious institutions aren't above criticism. So, who is Megha Vemuri? She's a student, a scientist, a writer, and now, an outspoken activist.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fulton County Schools seeks teachers, holding 2 hiring events
Fulton County Schools are hiring teachers. The school district will hold two hiring events. One is this Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. for Zones 1 - 3 (Chattahoochee Hills, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Palmetto, South Fulton, and Union City) at Benjamin Banneker High School in College Park. The second event will be held on Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. for Zones 4 - 7 (Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs) at Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta. Applicants are asked to apply before attending the event. Get more details and pre-register at this link. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Police say Atlanta rapper's 'cowardly' actions led to innocent teens' birthday party murders Man accused of shooting Clayton officer has a lengthy criminal history, records show Search teams say they're getting close to finding missing teacher who vanished in Lake Oconee [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
