Latest news with #Commencement
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Indian-American student banned from graduation ceremony after pro-Palestinian speech
An Indian-American student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was barred from attending her graduation ceremony after delivering a speech denouncing the war in Gaza, according to media reports. Megha Vemuri, the 2025 class president of MIT, is the latest in the list of students to face discipline after protesting the war in Gaza. Vemuri told CNN that after her speech, the university's senior leadership informed her she was not allowed to attend Friday's (May 30, 2025) commencement ceremony and was barred from campus until the event concluded. School officials confirmed that they told Ms. Vemuri that she was prohibited from attending the undergraduate ceremony. MIT leadership said that they stand by the punishment they issued to Ms. Vemuri. 'MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage,' a school spokesperson said in a statement. The school said that she would receive her degree. Ms. Vemuri, who grew up in Georgia, was a scheduled speaker at Thursday's (May 29, 2025) OneMIT Commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she took to the podium, with a keffiyeh – a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity – draped over her graduation robe. She praised her peers for protesting the war in Gaza and criticised the university's ties to Israel. An MIT spokesperson told CNN Ms. Vemuri's sppech on Thursday (May 29, 2025) 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.' Ms. Vemuri's father Sarat said that she was a double major, in computation and cognition and linguistics, and was told that she would receive her diploma by mail. Ms. Vemuri said she was grateful for her family, who have been present this week, supporting her. She says she's not disappointed about not getting to walk the stage. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Ms. Vemuri said. 'I am, however, disappointed that MIT's officials massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process, with no indication of any specific policy broken,' she added. He called MIT's purported support of free speech hypocritical. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the university's decision to ban Mr. Vemuri from the ceremony. 'MIT must respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students, not punish and intimidate those who speak out against genocide and in support of Palestinian humanity,' CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud said in a statement. College campuses across the US have witnessed protest encampments and accusations of antisemitism since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza. The tensions coupled with the Mr. Trump administration's attacks on universities, have left some school communities wrestling with how to balance civility and safety with open expression and debate, The New York Times said. New York University recently said it was withholding the diploma of a student who condemned 'genocide' in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech. Several students at Harvard, Columbia and other universities nationwide are also facing disciplinary threats. At the start of the school year in September, MIT issued new school rules surrounding when and where students can protest on its campus. School leadership has responded more strictly toward unsanctioned demonstrations this year, which was a departure from the prior school year when protestors camped out on campus.
Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indian-American student banned from graduation ceremony after pro-Palestinian speech
New York, An Indian-American student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was barred from attending her graduation ceremony after delivering a speech denouncing the war in Gaza, according to media reports. Megha Vemuri, the 2025 class president of MIT, is the latest in the list of students to face discipline after protesting the war in Gaza. Vemuri told CNN that after her speech, the university's senior leadership informed her she was not allowed to attend Friday's commencement ceremony and was barred from campus until the event concluded. School officials confirmed that they told Vemuri that she was prohibited from attending the undergraduate ceremony. MIT leadership said that they stand by the punishment they issued to Vemuri. 'MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage,' a school spokesperson said in a statement. The school said that she would receive her degree. Vemuri, who grew up in Georgia, was a scheduled speaker at Thursday's OneMIT Commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she took to the podium, with a keffiyeh – a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity – draped over her graduation robe. She praised her peers for protesting the war in Gaza and criticised the university's ties to Israel. An MIT spokesperson told CNN Vemuri's sppech on Thursday 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.' Vemuri's father Sarat said that she was a double major, in computation and cognition and linguistics, and was told that she would receive her diploma by mail. Vemuri said she was grateful for her family, who have been present this week, supporting her. She says she's not disappointed about not getting to walk the stage. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Vemuri said. 'I am, however, disappointed that MIT's officials massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process, with no indication of any specific policy broken,' she added. He called MIT's purported support of free speech hypocritical. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has condemned the university's decision to ban Vemuri from the ceremony. 'MIT must respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students, not punish and intimidate those who speak out against genocide and in support of Palestinian humanity,' CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud said in a statement. College campuses across the US have witnessed protest encampments and accusations of antisemitism since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza. The tensions coupled with the Trump administration's attacks on universities, have left some school communities wrestling with how to balance civility and safety with open expression and debate, The New York Times said. New York University recently said it was withholding the diploma of a student who condemned 'genocide' in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech. Several students at Harvard, Columbia and other universities nationwide are also facing disciplinary threats. At the start of the school year in September, MIT issued new school rules surrounding when and where students can protest on its campus. School leadership has responded more strictly toward unsanctioned demonstrations this year, which was a departure from the prior school year when protestors camped out on campus.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Who is Megha Vemuri, the Indian-origin MIT student barred from her own graduation ceremony?
Megha Vemuri , an Indian-origin student leader at MIT, was blocked from participating in her own graduation ceremony after using a campus stage to make a pro-Palestinian statement—sparking controversy over free speech and institutional boundaries at one of the top tech schools in the United States. The incident has sparked widespread debate about free speech and campus protest policies at leading U.S. universities. Vemuri, who was scheduled to serve as a student marshal at MIT's commencement, was informed by Chancellor Melissa Nobles that she would not be allowed to participate in the ceremony and that her family would also be barred from the campus for much of graduation day. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Missing teeth? What are my Options? Dental Awareness Media Learn More Undo 'You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers,' Nobles wrote to Vemuri in an email quoted by The Boston Globe. 'While we acknowledge your right to free expression, your decision to lead a protest from the stage, disrupting an important institute ceremony, was a violation of MIT's time, place and manner rules for campus expression.' (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Vemuri, in her response, reportedly accepted that her speech constituted a protest but described the disciplinary action as an 'overreach.' Live Events Viral speech sparks backlash; LinkedIn profile deleted Vemuri's remarks quickly spread on social media, prompting a wave of criticism. Following the online backlash, she appears to have deleted her LinkedIn profile. A screenshot of the now-defunct page was widely shared by users on X (formerly Twitter). Wearing a red keffiyeh—a scarf associated with Palestinian solidarity—Vemuri used her platform at the event to condemn MIT's research affiliations with the Israeli military and the broader role of U.S. institutions in the ongoing Gaza conflict . 'The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with; this means that Israel's assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school,' she said. Vemuri called on her fellow graduates to take a moral stand, stating: 'We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.' She urged her peers to support humanitarian aid and oppose arms transfers, adding: 'As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni that MIT cuts the ties.' She also praised pro-Palestinian students on campus for their activism, saying: 'Last spring, MIT's undergraduate body and Graduate Student Union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military. You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus.' The speech was later posted online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which identified Vemuri as the speaker. Who is Megha Vemuri? Born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, Megha Vemuri is a graduate of Alpharetta High School's Class of 2021. At MIT, she pursued a degree in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics, while also serving as the class president. She is associated with Written Revolution, a student organization at MIT that advocates anti-imperialist perspectives and revolutionary political thought. Prior to attending MIT, Vemuri interned at the University of Cape Town's Neuroscience Institute in South Africa and participated in various student science and leadership programs. Vemuri has yet to issue a public statement following MIT's disciplinary action, though her supporters have taken to social media to criticise the university's handling of the incident. Growing scrutiny of campus activism in the US Vemuri's exclusion from commencement has become the latest in a series of high-profile incidents involving disciplinary action against students protesting in support of Palestine. Last month, New York University withheld the diploma of graduating student Logan Rozos after he delivered an unauthorized commencement address condemning what he described as atrocities in Gaza. At MIT, student protests over the institution's ties to Israel have been ongoing since April. Activists have organized sit-ins and walkouts demanding that the university cut financial and research links to Israel's defense sector. While MIT has acknowledged certain partnerships, it has defended them as part of its broader academic mission.
Saudi Gazette
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
MIT class president banned from graduation ceremony after pro-Palestinian speech
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — The 2025 class president of MIT was barred from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after delivering a speech denouncing the war in Gaza at a commencement event the day before. Megha Vemuri told CNN that after her speech, the university's senior leadership informed her she was not allowed to attend Friday's commencement ceremony and was barred from campus until the event concluded. Vemuri will still receive her degree, an MIT spokesperson told CNN. 'What I am dealing with right now is absolutely nothing compared to the people of Palestine, and I'd take on much more if it meant helping their cause,' Vemuri told CNN Sunday. The class president was a scheduled speaker at Thursday's OneMIT Commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she took to the podium, a keffiyeh – a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity – draped over her graduation robe. She praised her peers for protesting the war in Gaza and criticized the university's ties to Israel. Tensions over university protests against the war in Gaza have come to a head at this year's graduation ceremonies. New York University recently said it was withholding the diploma of a student who condemned 'genocide' in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech. Alongside students at NYU, Harvard, Columbia and other universities nationwide, MIT students set up protest encampments last spring to denounce the war in Gaza, facing disciplinary threats from the university. 'You have faced the obstacle of fear before, and you turned it into fuel to stand up for what is right. You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' Vemuri said Thursday to the audience, with peers, family, university staff and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in attendance. Immediately following Vemuri's speech, MIT President Sally Kornbluth took to the podium and tried to settle the crowd. 'Listen, folks. At MIT, we value freedom of expression, but today's about the graduates,' Kornbluth said. An MIT spokesperson told CNN the speech Vemuri delivered Thursday 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.' '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 spokesperson said in a statement. The MIT Coalition for Palestine said university chancellor Melissa Nobles sent an email to Vemuri informing her she was not permitted to attend Friday's graduation ceremony and her tickets to the event had been deactivated. Vemuri says she's grateful for her family, who have been present this week, supporting her. She says she's not disappointed about not getting to walk the stage. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Vemuri said. 'I am, however, disappointed that MIT's officials massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process, with no indication of any specific policy broken,' she added, calling MIT's purported support of free speech hypocritical. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the university's decision to ban Vemuri from the ceremony. 'MIT must respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students, not punish and intimidate those who speak out against genocide and in support of Palestinian humanity,' CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud said in a statement. In the days after her speech, the young graduate has received nationwide media attention, along with a torrent of ardent support and biting criticism. 'I can handle the attention, positive and negative, if it means spreading that message further,' Vemuri told CNN. — CNN
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
2025 MIT class president banned from graduation ceremony after pro-Palestinian speech
The 2025 class president of MIT was barred from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after delivering a speech denouncing the war in Gaza at a commencement event the day before. Megha Vemuri told CNN that after her speech, the university's senior leadership informed her she was not allowed to attend Friday's commencement ceremony and was barred from campus until the event concluded. Vemuri will still receive her degree, an MIT spokesperson told CNN. 'What I am dealing with right now is absolutely nothing compared to the people of Palestine, and I'd take on much more if it meant helping their cause,' Vemuri told CNN Sunday. The class president was a scheduled speaker at Thursday's OneMIT Commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she took to the podium, a keffiyeh – a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity – draped over her graduation robe. She praised her peers for protesting the war in Gaza and criticized the university's ties to Israel. Tensions over university protests against the war in Gaza have come to a head at this year's graduation ceremonies. New York University recently said it was withholding the diploma of a student who condemned 'genocide' in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech. Alongside students at NYU, Harvard, Columbia and other universities nationwide, MIT students set up protest encampments last spring to denounce the war in Gaza, facing disciplinary threats from the university. 'You have faced the obstacle of fear before, and you turned it into fuel to stand up for what is right. You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' Vemuri said Thursday to the audience, with peers, family, university staff and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in attendance. Immediately following Vemuri's speech, MIT President Sally Kornbluth took to the podium and tried to settle the crowd. 'Listen, folks. At MIT, we value freedom of expression, but today's about the graduates,' Kornbluth said. An MIT spokesperson told CNN the speech Vemuri delivered Thursday 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance.' '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 spokesperson said in a statement. The MIT Coalition for Palestine said university chancellor Melissa Nobles sent an email to Vemuri informing her she was not permitted to attend Friday's graduation ceremony and her tickets to the event had been deactivated. Vemuri says she's grateful for her family, who have been present this week, supporting her. She says she's not disappointed about not getting to walk the stage. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Vemuri said. 'I am, however, disappointed that MIT's officials massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process, with no indication of any specific policy broken,' she added, calling MIT's purported support of free speech hypocritical. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the university's decision to ban Vemuri from the ceremony. 'MIT must respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students, not punish and intimidate those who speak out against genocide and in support of Palestinian humanity,' CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud said in a statement. In the days after her speech, the young graduate has received nationwide media attention, along with a torrent of ardent support and biting criticism. 'I can handle the attention, positive and negative, if it means spreading that message further,' Vemuri told CNN. CNN's Dianne Gallagher contributed to this report.
