Rob McMillanPomona College graduates will have to travel more than 30 miles for their commencement ceremony, as administrators seek to avoid a pro-Palestinian encampment set up at the school's graduation stage.Graduates from Pomona College in Claremont will have to travel more than 30 miles for their commencement ceremony Sunday, as administrators seek to avoid aThe college said it will provide graduates transportation to the new venue, the Shrine Auditorium in University Park.
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of these changes made to ensure that the Class of 2024 can graduate with their loved ones in attendance," the college said on its website."I had assumed that Pomona would have figured out a way to make this the meaningful graduation it was supposed to have been," parent Nicole Felton said.
There's been days of speculation as to where Sunday's ceremony would be held after the commencement stage was overtaken by the encampment. Pro-Palestinian protesters were still there Friday. "While our schools are winding down, while we have students here in the U.S. who are planning to graduate, there are no universities in Gaza," one protester said. "There is a very intentional strategic 'scholasticide,' and as our universities celebrate, we should also be extremely critical of their involvement that has led to the decimation of an entire educational infrastructure in Palestine.
A spokesperson for the group of pro-Palestinian protesters would not say whether they have any plans to leave.Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.