Latest news with #ClassDay
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What This Year's Graduation Ceremonies Can Tell Us About the Future of the Ivy League
Above: Harvard president Alan Garber at the university's commencement. College graduations are always occasions for mixed emotions: excitement and anxiety, sadness and joy. For the graduates of elite universities, however, the dominant mood this year might be relief. The Class of 2025 has not had an easy time of it. They graduated from high school during the first full year of COVID, and when many of them started college, they were still social distancing in virtual classrooms and residential pods. After that health crisis finally came to an end, it did not take long for a political one to emerge. Pro-Palestinian protests earned the ire of Congress, and the Trump presidency brought massive cuts to federal funding for research and repeated attempts to kick international students out of the country. Add to all this a job market that was starting to look a little wobbly under the pressure of AI and the possibility of a tariff-driven recession. Pity the person who had to figure out what to say to the beleaguered Class of 2025. Columbia University's acting president, Clare Shipman, barely got the chance. Boos drowned her out the moment she was introduced to address undergraduates during a cold and rainy Class Day last week. The sun was shining the next day for the university-wide commencement, but the mood was just as dark. Greeted once again with boos, Shipman struggled to get the audience's attention, let alone its sympathy. Columbia's administration lost support among many students when it broke up the pro-Palestinian encampment and invited police on campus to arrest protestors. During one of Shipman's speeches, a few students shouted, 'You arrested us!' The administration lost even more students' trust after agreeing to demands the Trump Administration placed on the university. On both days, the crowd broke out in chants of 'Free Mahmoud!', a reference to the Columbia graduate student and U.S. permanent resident Mahmoud Kahlil, who was detained by ICE. After two days of jeers, Shipman might have wished Columbia had canceled graduation ceremonies like it did last year. Christopher Eisgruber, the president of Princeton University, used the occasion of graduation to make a defense of the American research university, which was something of a sequel to an essay he published in The Atlantic in March. That piece traced the history of the postwar research partnership between higher education and the federal government and called out the need to stand up to the threat the Trump Administration posed to all the good that had come from it. Lacing in references to Alexis de Tocqueville and Socrates, Eisgruber returned to the themes of his essay in a brief speech that was a display of erudition and clarity, even if it was lacking in the inspiration that the graduates might have been looking for on their day. It's well and good to tell students to leave Princeton with 'a fierce independence of mind,' but ferocity and independence were likely little comfort to an audience of twenty-two-year-olds facing rescinded offers to grad school and the increasingly dimmer job prospects. The job market casts a shadow over every graduation ceremony ever, but after four years of economic growth and record unemployment, that shadow was longer than most students likely expected a year ago, even students in the Ivy League. A recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that in dozens of fields a majority of recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 were unemployed or underemployed, which they define as 'a college graduate working in a job that typically does not require a college degree.' The fields with the worst combined outcomes are likely not surprises, but it's notable that computer engineers have the third highest unemployment rate among recent graduates. Things will likely work out for most of the Class of 2025 at Harvard College, where more than half the graduates are going on to jobs in finance, technology, or consulting. After months of turmoil, Harvard managed to hold a graduation ceremony this week that was largely free of disturbance. Several speakers responded with defiance to the Trump administration's efforts to ban Harvard from enrolling international students. Harvard Kennedy School student Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang cautioned her classmates, 'We're starting to believe that people who think differently, vote differently, or pray differently—whether they're across the ocean or sitting right next to us—are not just wrong. But it doesn't have to be this way.' Hundreds of graduating seniors wore white flowers as a sign of support for international students, and Harvard's president, Alan Garber, welcomed the audience 'from down the street, across the country, and around the world.' In case anyone missed it, he repeated himself, 'Around the world. Just as it should be.' In stark contrast to Shipman's reception at Columbia, Garber was given a hero's welcome with a minute long standing ovation from an audience grateful that Harvard had taken a leading role in resisting the Trump administration's attack on higher education. At the same time, it was hard not to wonder how many students felt that politics were overshadowing their college experience to the very last minute. It would have been hard not to feel the presence of the Trump Administration at these Ivy League graduations, but at least one speaker made sure to keep the focus on students and what they were feeling that day. Jodi Kantor, whose reporting with Megan Twohey at the New York Times sparked the #MeToo movement, was greeted much more warmly than the president and with good reason. Her speech displayed the empathy and sharpness that has clearly served the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist well. She acknowledged that many in the audience felt that 'the story of [their] education had been one crisis after another' and recognized the anxiety some had suffered over four of the toughest years higher education has seen since the Vietnam War. Those crises will keep on coming, but that is not what Kantor wanted to dwell on. Instead, she left them with some good advice, advice that every parent fretting about where their kid will go to school might well heed themselves: 'Let's drop the assumption that your experience in college will dictate what becomes of you afterward.' You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Harvard Holds 374th Commencement Amid Intensifying Pressure from Trump Administration
Harvard University celebrated its 374th commencement ceremony on Thursday under mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which has recently escalated actions against the prestigious institution. The ceremony, held on May 29, featured renowned physician and author Dr. Abraham Verghese as the keynote speaker. However, the celebrations unfolded in the shadow of an ongoing political standoff with former President Donald Trump, who has accused Harvard of fostering antisemitic activism and failing to align with federal values. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps against Harvard, directing federal agencies to cancel approximately $100 million in contracts, following earlier moves to revoke $2.6 billion in federal research grants, halt the enrolment of international students, and question the university's tax-exempt status. 'Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect,' Trump said on Wednesday. 'All they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper.' Further inflaming tensions, the administration paused visa interviews for international students nationwide and demanded that Harvard reduce its foreign student population from 25% to 15%. Despite the pressure, Harvard has not backed down. With an endowment of $53 billion, the university has become a symbol of institutional resistance, defending what it calls the core principles of academic freedom and free speech. Earlier in the week, NBA legend and civil rights activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar addressed the graduating class during Class Day, praising Harvard's resolve. He commended Harvard President Alan Garber for standing firm against what he called illegal and immoral threats. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard, Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,' Abdul-Jabbar said, likening Garber's resistance to Rosa Parks' historic defiance during the civil rights movement. 'After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, and universities bend to this administration, it is inspiring to see Harvard take a stand for freedom,' he added. On Wednesday, journalist Christiane Amanpour also addressed graduates of the Harvard Kennedy School, voicing support for the university's position. In response to the federal measures, Harvard has taken legal action, filing a lawsuit to challenge the funding freeze and has obtained a temporary court order halting the international student enrolment ban. As students don their caps and gowns, the atmosphere at Harvard's commencement reflects more than academic achievement—it underscores a broader national debate over the future of education, speech, and governance in the United States.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Harvard holds 374th graduation day under cloud of Trump threats
Amid the threats and pressure from the Donald Trump administration, the Harvard University is holding its 374th commencement – which includes honouring graduating students – on Thursday, May 29. Abraham Verghese, Physician and writer will be the speaker at Harvard's 374th commencement. The Harvard commencement comes as Donald Trump piles unprecedented pressure on the university The Trump administration has intensified its actions against the Ivy League institution, directing federal agencies to cancel around USD 100 million in contracts. This follows earlier moves to revoke over USD 2.6 billion in federal research grants, halt the enrolment of international students at Harvard, and challenge the university's tax-exempt status. 'Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper,' Donald Trump said Wednesday. Visa interviews for international students admitted to schools nationwide were halted on Tuesday, and Trump said Wednesday that Harvard should reduce its international enrolment from 25 per cent to about 15 per cent. Sustained by a USD 53 billion endowment, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against Trump's efforts to limit what it calls antisemitic activism on campus, which Harvard sees as an affront to the freedom to teach and learn nationwide. Ahead of the commencement day, NBA Hall of Famer and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the 'Class Day' speaker, and journalist Christiane Amanpour addressed graduates of Harvard's Kennedy School. Both praised Harvard for standing up to the Trump administration, with Abdul-Jabbar specifically calling out the actions of Harvard President Alan Garber. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard, to revoke their academic freedom and to destroy free speech, Dr Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,' Abdul-Jabbar said to wide applause as he compared Garber's response to Rosa Parks' stand against racist segregation. 'After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, law firms, politicians and other universities bend their knee to an administration that is systematically strip-mining the US Constitution, it is inspiring to me to see Harvard University take a stand for freedom," he continued. In response to the administration's actions, Harvard has filed a lawsuit to challenge the funding freeze and successfully secured a temporary court order blocking the enrolment ban.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard University holds commencement while facing Trump administration pressure
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University is holding its commencement Thursday at a pivotal moment, when its place as one of the world's leading higher education institutions is under what increasingly seems like existential threats from the Trump administration. Other schools face the loss of federal funding and their ability to enroll international students if they don't agree to the Trump administration's shifting demands. But Harvard, which was founded in 1636, a century and a half before the nation itself, is taking the lead on defying the White House in federal court — and paying a significant price. The Trump administration's latest salvos include asking federal agencies to cancel about $100 million in contracts with the Ivy League school. The government already canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants, moved to cut off Harvard's enrollment of international students and threatened its tax-exempt status. Visa interviews for international students admitted to schools nationwide were halted on Tuesday, and Trump said Wednesday that Harvard should reduce its international enrollment from 25% to about 15%. Sustained by a $53 billion endowment, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against Trump's efforts to limit what it calls antisemitic activism on campus, which Harvard sees as an affront to the freedom to teach and learn nationwide. The Trump administration has demanded Harvard enact broad government and leadership reforms and changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs. Dr. Abraham Verghese, the bestselling author and Stanford expert on infectious diseases, will be the principal speaker at the university's 374th commencement. On Wednesday, NBA Hall of Famer and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the 'Class Day' speaker, and journalist Christiane Amanpour addressed graduates of Harvard's Kennedy School. Both praised Harvard for standing up to the Trump administration, with Abdul-Jabbar specifically calling out the actions of Harvard President Alan Garber. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard, to revoke their academic freedom and to destroy free speech, Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,' Abdul-Jabbar said to wide applause as he compared Garber's response to Rosa Parks' stand against racist segregation. 'After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, law firms, politicians and other universities bend their knee to an administration that is systematically strip-mining the U.S. Constitution, it is inspiring to me to see Harvard University take a stand for freedom,' he continued. In response to the administration's threats, Harvard has sued to block the funding freeze and persuaded a federal judge to temporarily halt the enrollment ban. It is going to court in Boston on Thursday just as the commencement is wrapping up, hoping for a ruling that allows it to continue enrolling international students. 'We believe that the government overreach and devastating attacks on scientific and medical research are unwarranted and unlawful, and so we have taken legal action to defend the institution,' Garber said in an interview with a university publication. 'We should all be concerned that colleges and universities have increasingly come under attack. But we should not dismiss the criticisms even when they are based on distortions or inaccuracies — we need to look for the underlying concerns that can be embedded in them,' said Garber, who commissioned internal reports last year on antisemitism and anti-Arab prejudice at the Ivy League campus. The Trump administration has said it wants 'to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment.' It cites campus protests against Israel. Like many college students around the country, Harvard students set up tents called on the university to divest from companies supporting Israel's military, which has leveled Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas. Last year, hundreds of graduating students walked out of commencement chanting 'Free, free Palestine' after weeks of campus protests. Harvard also said some protesters would not receive diplomas alongside their classmates, although it eventually allowed most to get them. This year, the anti-war demonstrations have largely faded from view, but protesters plan a silent vigil before Thursday's ceremony. 'As a graduate of Harvard, I am horrified by Israel's mass murder of Palestinians (including by deliberate starvation), its total leveling of Gaza, its targeting of hospitals, its assaults on Palestinian educational and cultural institutions, and its relentless killings of journalists,' Harvard graduate Victor Wallis explained in a statement. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Harvard holds commencement while facing Trump administration pressure
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University is holding its commencement Thursday at a pivotal moment, when its place as one of the world's leading higher education institutions is under what increasingly seems like existential threats from the Trump administration. Other schools face the loss of federal funding and their ability to enroll international students if they don't agree to the Trump administration's shifting demands. But Harvard, which was founded in 1636, a century and a half before the nation itself, is taking the lead on defying the White House in federal court — and paying a significant price. The Trump administration's latest salvos include asking federal agencies to cancel about $100 million in contracts with the Ivy League school. The government already canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants, moved to cut off Harvard's enrollment of international students and threatened its tax-exempt status. Visa interviews for international students admitted to schools nationwide were halted on Tuesday, and Trump said Wednesday that Harvard should reduce its international enrollment from 25% to about 15%. Sustained by a $53 billion endowment, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against Trump's efforts to limit what it calls antisemitic activism on campus, which Harvard sees as an affront to the freedom to teach and learn nationwide. The Trump administration has demanded Harvard enact broad government and leadership reforms and changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs. Dr. Abraham Verghese, the bestselling author and Stanford expert on infectious diseases, will be the principal speaker at the university's 374th commencement. On Wednesday, NBA Hall of Famer and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the 'Class Day' speaker, and journalist Christiane Amanpour addressed graduates of Harvard's Kennedy School. Both praised Harvard for standing up to the Trump administration, with Abdul-Jabbar specifically calling out the actions of Harvard President Alan Garber. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard, to revoke their academic freedom and to destroy free speech, Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,' Abdul-Jabbar said to wide applause as he compared Garber's response to Rosa Parks' stand against racist segregation. 'After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, law firms, politicians and other universities bend their knee to an administration that is systematically strip-mining the U.S. Constitution, it is inspiring to me to see Harvard University take a stand for freedom,' he continued. In response to the administration's threats, Harvard has sued to block the funding freeze and persuaded a federal judge to temporarily halt the enrollment ban. It is going to court in Boston on Thursday just as the commencement is wrapping up, hoping for a ruling that allows it to continue enrolling international students. 'We believe that the government overreach and devastating attacks on scientific and medical research are unwarranted and unlawful, and so we have taken legal action to defend the institution,' Garber said in an interview with a university publication. 'We should all be concerned that colleges and universities have increasingly come under attack. But we should not dismiss the criticisms even when they are based on distortions or inaccuracies — we need to look for the underlying concerns that can be embedded in them,' said Garber, who commissioned internal reports last year on antisemitism and anti-Arab prejudice at the Ivy League campus. The Trump administration has said it wants 'to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment.' It cites campus protests against Israel. Like many college students around the country, Harvard students set up tents called on the university to divest from companies supporting Israel's military, which has leveled Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas. Last year, hundreds of graduating students walked out of commencement chanting 'Free, free Palestine' after weeks of campus protests. Harvard also said some protesters would not receive diplomas alongside their classmates, although it eventually allowed most to get them. This year, the anti-war demonstrations have largely faded from view, but protesters plan a silent vigil before Thursday's ceremony. 'As a graduate of Harvard, I am horrified by Israel's mass murder of Palestinians (including by deliberate starvation), its total leveling of Gaza, its targeting of hospitals, its assaults on Palestinian educational and cultural institutions, and its relentless killings of journalists,' Harvard graduate Victor Wallis explained in a statement.
