USC Students Question How And Why University Canceled Valedictorian's Graduation Speech

The news that USC had rescinded its offer for valedictorian Asna Tabassum to deliver a commencement speech spread quickly among students Monday evening on social media, through friends, and in the Daily Trojan.

In a statement announcing the cancellation of her speech, USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman cited safety concerns, referencing campus tensions across the country related to the Israel-Hamas War.

Tabassum's social media activity had come under criticism by pro-Israel student and outside groups. Her Instagram bio links to a slideshow critical of Zionism.

Calling USC's reversal "ridiculous," psychology major Scarlett Kamga alluded to the wide pool of applicants — nearly 100 — from which the university chose a speaker.

“They chose someone with a minor in resistance to genocide," she said. "And I feel like in our political climate, then they should stand on that and they should allow her to say what she wants to say."

Tabassum, in a post published on the website of the Council on American–Islamic Relations, said that USC had taught her to think outside the box and to bring her various identities to the fore.

“I am a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim whose passion for service stems from the experience of my grandparents, who were unable to access lifesaving medical technology because they had been displaced by communal violence,” she wrote. "Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope. By canceling my speech, USC is only caving to fear and rewarding hatred."

A mix of opinion

Last week, the student advocacy group Trojans for Israel criticized Tabassum’s selection as speaker over what they characterized as "anti-Zionist rhetoric." The group said Tabassum’s selection distressed Jewish communities on campus.

On Tuesday, however, USC Hillel posted on Instagram that the university's decision to revoke the speech has also led to harm for Jewish students "who are encountering deeply offensive language, and harmful rhetoric and actions expressed both by fellow students and by the broader public."

In its own Instagram statement, the USC Muslim Student Union expressed “dismay and disappointment” with the university. “Asna, distinguished by her exceptional academic record, her active participation in extracurricular activities, and her unwavering character, embodies what USC should value in its students,” the post read.

The student union also said the reversal was “not only a misstep, but a glaring display of the university’s current vulnerability and openness to cave to manipulation and external intimidation.”

Jack Goldfeder, a business major, identifies as Jewish. He disagrees with USC’s decision to pull Tabassum’s commencement speech, and said she should have been allowed to say what she planned to say.

At the same time, Goldfeder said, "I don't think USC is anti-Muslim."

He added that, in his circle of friends, the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel didn’t heighten tensions, but he believes that USC is “just trying to mitigate [conflict between students].”

Students say decision is 'out of step'

Some students noted that if the decision was about safety, the university knows how to take precautions; it hosted former President Barack Obama last year when he was on campus to watch his daughter graduate.

In a statement, a university spokesperson said, "While the decision was difficult, it was necessary to maintain and prioritize the security of the USC community during the coming weeks, and to allow those attending commencement to focus on the celebration our graduates deserve."

The university declined to answer questions about whether any administrators had spoken to Tabassum since Monday's announcement.

Kamga, the psychology major, said protests at USC have been vigorous, but she hasn’t seen conflicts in class or in her social circles. She says USC’s decision is out of step with the campus.

“[The canceling of the speech] shows that our university cares more about the opinions of outside people than their own students,” she said.

The university's main commencement ceremony is May 10, and is scheduled to feature a speech from USC alum Jon Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and the upcoming film adaptation of the musical Wicked.