Amid the decision to cancel this year’s commencement speech, the University of Southern California announced it would eliminate all outside speakers and honorees from its main stage commencement ceremony taking place this month next.
In this March 12, 2019, file photo, the University of Southern California is shown in Los Angeles.
Reed Saxon/AP, FILE
In a memo released Friday, the university said: “To maintain focus on our graduates, we are redesigning the admissions program. Given the high-profile circumstances surrounding our Main Stage Admissions Program, the university management has decided that it is best to release our Main Stage Admissions Program. external speakers and award winners to attend this year’s ceremony.
Guest speakers included USC alumnus filmmaker Jon M. Chu, director of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Wicked.” Sports icon Billie Jean King was also scheduled to speak.
In this December 16, 2023 file photo, Jon M. Chu attends a gala in Beverly Hills, California.
Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images, FILE
Asna Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian American Muslim, was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on May 10. However, school administrators decided to cancel his speech for security reasons.
USC said the decision was based on potential threats regarding valedictorian selection.
“After careful consideration, we have decided that our valedictorian student will not deliver a speech at commencement,” USC Dean and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Andrew T. Guzman said Monday in a letter to students. “While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety.”
USC students participate in a silent march in support of Asna Tabassum, whose graduation speech was canceled by the USC administration at the University of Southern California, April 18, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The high school student spoke with ABC News Live’s Phil Lipof about the situation Wednesday.
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“The valedictorian honor is ultimately a unifying honor, right? It’s emblematic of USC’s unifying values. And I think I take that to heart.”
“I wanted my speech to be in the genre of a farewell speech, and that being said, I wanted to convey a message of hope. I also wanted to convey a message of responsibility,” Tabassum told Lipof.
USC, which expects a crowd of 65,000 for commencement festivities on May 10, said the ceremony should focus on “the tremendous accomplishments of our more than 19,000 graduates, their friends, of their families, as well as the staff and faculty who played a crucial role in their journey. »
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