Latest news with #OneMITCommencementCeremony
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Indian-American banned from MIT graduation ceremony for pro-Palestine speech. Who is Megha Vemuri?
Indian-American student Megha Vemuri of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was banned from attending a graduation ceremony on Friday after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech during a commencement event on May 29. Vemuri was designated to be the marshal at the graduation ceremony, however, the university announced that she and her family were barred from attending the event. Vemuri, the elected class president and a double major in computation and cognition and linguistics, spoke at MIT's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony in Cambridge. Her speech, which was not pre-approved, denounced MIT's research ties with Israel and accused the university of being complicit in the 'genocide' of the Palestinian people. Following the speech, University Chancellor Melissa Nobles informed Vemuri that she would not be allowed to participate in the graduate ceremony on Friday, adding that she would receive her diploma by mail. In a statement, the university said: '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.' In response to MIT's decision to bar her from the graduation ceremony, Vemuri said she was not disappointed about missing the event. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' she wrote. However, she expressed disappointment with the university's handling of the situation, saying school officials 'massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process.' According to data from the United States Department of Education, MIT received $2.8 million in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024, as reported by The Boston Globe and cited by The New York Times. Born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, Vemuri graduated from Alpharetta High School in 2021. She studied computer science, cognition, and linguistics at MIT, recently completing her degree while serving as the class president. At MIT, Vemuri was also a part of the Written Revolution, a student group that 'platforms revolutionary thought on campus' through writing and art, which it describes as 'powerful tools for conducting a revolution.' Before enrolling at MIT, she interned at the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and participated in various youth leadership and science outreach programs. Vemuri's ONEMIT speech quickly went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism. In response to the online backlash, she has since taken down her LinkedIn profile. Taking the stage wearing a red keffiyeh – a symbol of solidarity with Palestine – Vemuri was one of nine speakers at MIT's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony on Thursday. Read from crumpled sheets of paper, her speech, roughly four minutes long, was addressed to her classmates, highlighting some of their efforts to protest against Israel. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' she said, adding, 'The MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide.' After Vemuri left the stage to a round of applause, MIT President Sally Kornbluth spoke next. She paused as some people began chanting, and then responded, 'OK, listen folks. At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates.' President Kornbluth has found herself on this type of tightrope before. In December 2023, she testified before the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce, alongside student presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. The hearing was on how universities were handling campus protests and allegations of antisemitism. Unlike her counterparts Claudine Gay and Liz Magill —both of whom were replaced by their schools — Kornbluth managed to avoid serious consequences. The 2023-24 academic year saw widespread pro-Palestinian protests on many college campuses, including encampments and tense standoffs across the country. Graduation ceremonies became a stage for political expression, with walkouts and protest speeches common. Generally, those who participated in such actions were not subjected to disciplinary measures. Vemuri's also drew criticism from the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, a key ally of US President Donald Trump. 'Ignorant. Hateful. Morally bankrupt. Where is the shame—or appropriate response from the institution?' he wrote on X. 'Have your children avoid MIT & the Ivy League at all costs.'
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
MIT prevents Indian-origin student from attending graduation event after pro-Palestine speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending Friday's undergraduate commencement ceremony after she delivered an unapproved pro-Palestinian speech during a university event the day before. On Thursday, Megha Vemuri, the elected class president and a double major in computation and cognition and linguistics, spoke at MIT's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her speech, which was not pre-approved, denounced MIT's research ties to the Israeli military and accused the university of complicity in 'genocide' against the Palestinian people. '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, disrupting an important Institute ceremony,' MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said in a statement, as reported by NBC News. According to the Boston Globe, citing US Department of Education data, MIT received about $2.8 million in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024. Wearing a Keffiyeh scarf, Vemuri's four-minute speech praised student protests, highlighted the devastation in Gaza, and urged MIT to cut ties with Israeli institutions. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' she said. Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza. We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it. Her address was met with cheers from some classmates, a few of whom raised Palestinian flags. Referencing a student vote earlier this year calling on MIT to sever ties with Israel, Vemuri added: You prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide. In a symbolic gesture, she urged graduates to turn their class rings—featuring the mascot Tim the Beaver—so the beaver faced outward. This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility… to stop [MIT's] complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. After the speech, MIT informed Vemuri she would not be permitted to attend the main graduation ceremony on Friday. However, she will still receive her diploma, which will be mailed to her, her father Sarat Vemuri told The New York Times. In a statement, Vemuri said she was not disappointed about missing the ceremony. I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide. She criticised MIT's disciplinary response as a 'massive overstep' and said she had been punished 'without merit or due process.' MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who spoke immediately after Vemuri at Thursday's event, did not directly address the incident. 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates,' she told the audience, pausing briefly as some in the crowd chanted. (With inputs from The New York Times, NBC News)
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]
