University of Pennsylvania seniors worry about graduation, traditions as pro-Palestinian encampment remains
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pennsylvania is on day five and happening just three weeks before seniors are scheduled to graduate from the university.
The University of Southern California has already canceled its main commencement due to an encampment on its campus. Now seniors at Penn are wondering if the same could happen to them.
It's been a while since Emma Herndon had some normalcy in her school life.
"I think maybe in like sixth grade I had a normal school year," Herndon said.
The University of Pennsylvania senior said she graduated from high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, she's spending some of her final weeks at Penn camped out with dozens of other pro-Palestinian students.
"To me, it's a very small sacrifice to not be able to participate as fully in some of these traditions of a graduating senior," Herndon said.
The encampment, now on its 5th day on campus, is the latest event in what's been a rocky year for the university. School leaders faced backlash from prominent donors after the Palestinian Writes Literature Festival was held on campus in September. Then in December, University President Liz McGill stepped down following her comments during a Congressional hearing in anti-Semitism.
"I feel like there is a lot more tension in the air just on campus," said Jay Brown, a graduating senior at Penn
Seniors who spoke to CBS News Philadelphia are winding down their time on the University City campus. But they've also expressed concerns that, because of the encampment, they may not get to take part in some of the annual traditions that usually happen around this time.
"We have 'Hey Day,' which is a day where juniors become seniors. We also have 'Final Toast' where seniors are celebrating their last day," Brown said.
"Unless they're going to cancel those events, which all take place right in this area, this lawn, they're going to have to take it down," Jason Milch, a senior, said.
"Hey Day," a tradition that, according to the university, has its roots back to 1916, is currently slated for Thursday. Graduation is still three weeks away, scheduled for May 20. And while seniors believe they have some time and will get to walk at commencement, they are still concerned.
"I'd hope that they will be able to have the commencement and have this removed in as peacefully a way as possible, but I think it is a possibility," Milch said.
"If one Ivy League school or elite institution, if they start canceling their graduation, then I would be more fearful of a domino effect," Brown said.
Herndon said she's heard the rumblings and questions from other seniors on campus. But she says the protest isn't in place to stop those things from happening.
"Unless people were really missing this one patch of grass to take a photo on, they're taking photos everywhere else around us and we're welcoming them in," Herndon said.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to University officials to see if the encampment will have any impact on graduation or the other surrounding events. We have not yet received a response.
