Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Columbia, the esteemed New York institution at the center of US campus demonstrations against the Gaza War, declared that it will not be holding the traditional commencement ceremony the following week. With a series of smaller festivities planned in its place, the Ivy League school said that it would “forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15”.
“We are determined to give our students the celebration they deserve, and that they want,” Columbia announced, saying “smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families. We will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly. A great deal of effort is already underway to reach that goal,” the university said.
Demonstrations against Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza have rocked campuses across the United States for weeks, prompting crackdowns, mass arrests, and a White House directive to restore order. Last week, police evicted protesters occupying a Columbia University building and cleared out an unauthorized encampment on the campus lawn. President Joe Biden broke his silence on the protests on Thursday, insisting “order must prevail”.
