Latest news with #OneMIT
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MIT class president barred from graduation after pro-Palestine speech
[Source] The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2025 class president was barred from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after delivering a pro-Palestinian speech that criticized the university's ties to Israel during a commencement event the day prior. What she said Megha Vemuri took the stage at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony wearing a keffiyeh over her graduation gown. During the Indian-origin graduate's four-minute speech, she praised students who protested the war in Gaza and condemned MIT's financial ties to Israel. 'Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza,' Vemuri said. '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.' Vemuri specifically criticized MIT's research connections, stating that 'Israel is the only foreign military with which MIT has active research ties.' MIT reportedly received $2.8 million in grants, gifts and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024. She concluded her speech by invoking MIT's tradition of turning class rings outward, saying graduates 'carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.' Trending on NextShark: The aftermath MIT President Sally Kornbluth attempted to calm the crowd immediately after Vemuri's speech, saying, 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates.' University officials later informed Vemuri she could not attend Friday's undergraduate ceremony and was barred from campus until it concluded. MIT said the speech differed from what was submitted in advance, with the university claiming Vemuri chose to 'deliberately and repeatedly' mislead Commencement organizers and lead a protest from the stage. The big picture Trending on NextShark: Vemuri's ban reflects growing tensions at universities where students have transformed graduation ceremonies into platforms for Gaza-related protests. These events unfold as universities navigate pressure from the Trump administration, which has been cutting federal funding for research and launching investigations into DEI programs. In an X post, House Speaker Mike Johnson called Vemuri's speech 'Ignorant. Hateful. Morally bankrupt,' urging parents to 'avoid MIT & the Ivy League at all costs.' Despite the controversy, Vemuri will receive her degree by mail and expressed no regrets, telling CNN she sees 'no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide.' The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned MIT's decision, with Massachusetts executive director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud saying, '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.' Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. ! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
MIT class president barred from graduation after speaking out on Gaza
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after she delivered a speech during a commencement event the day before condemning the war in Gaza and criticizing the university's ties to Israel. The student, Megha Vemuri, spoke at MIT's OneMIT commencement on Thursday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wearing a keffiyeh over her graduation gown, she praised student protests against the war in Gaza and condemned MIT's ties to Israel. '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 [to Israel]' Vemuri said during her speech. The Boston Globe reported last year that between 2020 and 2024, MIT reported receiving $2.8m in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities, based on data from the US Department of Education. The Globe noted that the data did not clarify whether the funds came from academic, individual or public sources, or how they are spent. On Friday, MIT issued a statement – without naming Vemuri – saying that the speech delivered on Thursday 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance'. The university said that the student had been informed that they would not be permitted at Friday's undergraduate degree ceremony, despite having a scheduled role. '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 read. MIT said in a statement to the Guardian that Vemuri would still receive her degree. Vemuri did not immediately respond to a request from the Guardian, but told CNN that after her speech on Thursday, she was informed by university officials that she was not allowed to attend Friday's ceremony, and that she was barred from campus until the ceremony concluded. Vemuri said that she was not disappointed about not getting to walk across the stage, and that she was grateful for her family's support. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Vemuri told CNN. '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. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) condemned MIT's decision to ban Vemuri from the Friday 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,' Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, the executive director of Cair Massachusetts, said. MIT's decision to bar Vemuri from the Friday ceremony comes several weeks after New York University announced that it was withholding a student's diploma after he used a graduation ceremony speech to condemn Israel's deadly war in Gaza. At George Washington University, a graduating student was banned from the campus last month after she delivered a speech during a commencement ceremony criticizing the university's ties to Israel and expressing support for Palestinians.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The speech that got MIT's 2025 class president banned from graduation
Megha Vemuri, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2025 class president, was banned from participating in her graduation commencement ceremony last week, after she accused the university of having 'aided and abetted' Israel's 'assault on the Palestinian people' during a speech on campus the day before. On Thursday, Vemuri took to the stage at the OneMIT commencement ceremony, donning a keffiyeh — a traditional scarf worn by Arab communities that has been a symbol of Palestinian nationalism for decades — over her graduation gown. During her speech, Vemuri denounced Israel's war in Gaza and criticized the university for its ties to the country's military. 'Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza,' Vemuri said. '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.' According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 54,418 people have been killed and 124,190 injured in Gaza amid Israel's ongoing attack in the region since Hamas' terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. That attack killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and took around 250 hostage, according to Israeli counts. Vemuri's speech starts around the 55:30 mark, and her remarks related to Gaza begin at the 56:00 mark: At the end of her speech, Vemuri referenced a decades-old MIT tradition in which graduating students turn their class rings, featuring their university's mascot, 'Tim the Beaver,' outward, symbolizing that their time at MIT is now in the past. 'As you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you; it is now facing the world,' Vemuri said. 'This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. 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. And so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it.' After Vemuri finished her speech, Sally Kornbluth, the university's president, tried to settle the crowd. 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates,' Kornbluth said. Without naming Vemuri, MIT confirmed that she had been banned from Friday's events, after they said she delivered a speech a day earlier that was not the one provided to the school in advance of the event. 'While that individual had a scheduled role at today's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today's events,' university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said in a statement. '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.' Vemuri's speech quickly attracted criticism, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called it 'Ignorant. Hateful. Morally bankrupt,' in a post on X. 'Where is the shame — or appropriate response from the institution? Have your children avoid MIT & the Ivy League at all costs,' Johnson wrote. An MIT spokesperson told CNN that despite not attending Friday's ceremony, Vemuri will still receive her degree. '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 on Sunday. This article was originally published on
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
MIT class president barred from graduation after speaking out on Gaza
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after she delivered a speech during a commencement event the day before condemning the war in Gaza and criticizing the university's ties to Israel. The student, Megha Vemuri, spoke at MIT's OneMIT commencement on Thursday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wearing a keffiyeh over her graduation gown, she praised student protests against the war in Gaza and condemned MIT's ties to Israel. '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 [to Israel]' Vemuri said during her speech. The Boston Globe reported last year that between 2020 and 2024, MIT reported receiving $2.8m in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities, based on data from the US Department of Education. The Globe noted that the data did not clarify whether the funds came from academic, individual or public sources, or how they are spent. On Friday, MIT issued a statement – without naming Vemuri – saying that the speech delivered on Thursday 'was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance'. The university said that the student had been informed that they would not be permitted at Friday's undergraduate degree ceremony, despite having a scheduled role. '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 read. MIT said in a statement to the Guardian that Vemuri will still receive her degree. Vemuri did not immediately respond to a request from the Guardian, but told CNN that after her speech on Thursday, she was informed by university officials that she was not allowed to attend Friday's ceremony, and that she was barred from campus until the ceremony concluded. Vemuri said that she was not disappointed about not getting to walk across the stage, and that she was grateful for her family's support. 'I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide,' Vemuri told CNN. '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. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned MIT's decision to ban Vemuri from the Friday 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. MIT's decision to bar Vemuri from the Friday ceremony comes several weeks after New York University announced that it was withholding a student's diploma after he used a graduation ceremony speech to condemn Israel's deadly war in Gaza. At George Washington University, a graduating student was banned from the campus last month after she delivered a speech during a commencement ceremony criticizing the university's ties to Israel and expressing support for Palestinians.
United News of India
02-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
MIT bars Indian-American student from attending graduation ceremony over pro-Palestine speech
New York, June 2 (UNI) An Indian-American student, Megha Vemuri, was barred by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from attending the graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech at an event last week. The ban on Vemuri, a neuroscience undergrad and class of 2025 President at MIT, came after she took the stage at an MIT event on Thursday to speak about the war in Gaza, her support for Palestine and condemnation of MIT in relation to the Gaza war. Vemuri's speech on Thursday at the OneMIT ceremony was not the one provided to the institution in advance, according to an MIT spokesperson. While the institution supports free expression, it stands by the decision to not allow the student at the Friday events because she 'deliberately and repeatedly' misled commencement organisers and led a 'protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony.' With a keffiyah around her shoulders over her cloak, Vemuri told the students on Thursday: "You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine." 'You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus. You faced threats, intimidation, and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials. But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide,' she continued. Vemuri spoke against Israel, saying that the country was trying to 'wipe Palestine off the face of the earth,' adding that MIT was complicit. Vemuri argued that MIT's ties with the IDF meant that 'Israel's assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school.' Vemuri was met with yells from the crowd, some students jumping out of their seats in support of her words and others shaking their heads seemingly not in support of her speech. Vemuri continued her speech by stating that the undergraduate and graduate union voted to cut ties with 'the genocidal Israeli military' last spring and for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Last year, MIT was one of the campuses across the country that created a pro-Palestinian encampment. It later ended as the institution said it would suspend those students who didn't leave it and it was cleared out by police. She concluded with the traditional turning of the class ring, saying that the alumni would now 'carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.' MIT President Sally Kornbluth took the stage immediately after, expressing her disapproval of Vemuri's speech. 'At MIT, we value freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates, so it's time for me to charge you all,' Kornbluth said. 'There is a time and a place to express yourselves, and you will have many, many years to do it,' the MIT President said. According to reports, Vemuri was born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, and graduated in Alpharetta High School in 2021. She went to MIT to pursue an undergraduate degree in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics. She completed her degree while also serving as class president. CNN quoted MIT to say that she will still receive her graduation degree. UNI RN
