Let Asna Speak.

Earlier this week, students attending the University of Southern California were delivered maddening news that would soon lead to protests and petitions. Asna Tabassum is a senior at USC who has accumulated various accomplishments including being named valedictorian. However, USC has taken away her ability to deliver a speech at the commencement, following pro-Israel groups labeling her as antisemitic for having a pro-Palestine link in her social media biography. The university claims that the decision to revoke her speech was due to ‘safety concerns’ however it seems to be a scapegoat to excuse them from taking a stance on the matter. Despite being told her speech was taken away due to safety concerns, Asna releases a statement saying, 

“In a meeting with the USC Provost and the Associate Senior Vice president of Safety and Risk Assurance on April 14, I asked about the alleged safety concerns and was told that the University has the resources to take appropriate safety measures for my valedictory speech, but that they would not be doing so since increased security protections is no what the University wants to ‘present as an image’”

The university claims to have concerns about her safety, yet opts out of providing her with the necessary resources to keep her safe and refuses to let her speak. On April 19, following the news and the release of her statement, students gathered in front of the Tommy Trojan statue near the heart of campus and protested her right to speak with a silent march. Similarly, many students have signed the petition that has circulated demanding Asna’s right to speak. The next day, the University released another statement which announced that there will be no commencement speakers or outside honorees at the main stage Class of 2024 commencement ceremony. Rather than returning Asna’s right to a valedictory speech, USC decided to ban all speakers from attending the ceremony, saying they hope to honor their accomplishments at another time. 

I am disgusted at the actions of USC’s head office for firstly taking away her speech, then taking away her and many others’ attendance from the ceremony. USC has decided to ignore its’ students, and come up with yet another ‘solution’ that simply overlooks the real issue. Rather than facing the problems head on, the Office of provost continues to upend traditions for the sake of the schools’ image. In doing so, USC has found itself across the news in yet another scandal.