The University of Massachusetts Amherst held its graduate commencement ceremony Friday at McGuirk Stadium for the 6,000-plus students receiving their masters and doctoral degrees.
Amidst protests and the more than 130 on-campus student, faculty and community member arrests that ensued after an encampment in solidarity with Palestine was set up on May 7, Chancellor Javier Reyes was met with some boos as he walked towards the stage at the start of the ceremony.
In his address, Reyes acknowledged the “global uncertainty” that has pervaded over the past year.
“This uncertainty has been increasingly visible in college campuses across the country, including our own,” he said. “As both chancellor and as a father, I am heartened by the passion of this generation and your desire to actively work towards creating a better world. Your advocacy challenges us to explore new perspectives and create new understandings.”
He also acknowledged the university’s stance on freedom of speech: “As a public university, we are committed to upholding the tenets of our great freedom, and free speech.”
After Reyes and other administrators finished their remarks, student speaker and English Ph.D. graduate Jarrel De Matas then spoke about his experience coming to Amherst from Trinidad in pursuit of higher education.
He also admitted to the crowd, without specifically citing the arrests that occurred on campus, that he was hesitant to make the speech as graduation came closer.
De Matas ultimately decided that he must move forward with the speech – a different approach from author Coleson Whitehead, the keynote undergraduate commencement speaker, who rescinded his participation in the ceremony two days after the arrests.
“I felt that there was much more power in speaking out than in remaining silent. I had to use my voice. I had to be brave. I had to ‘be revolutionary,’” he said, referring to UMass’ “Be Revolutionary” tagline.
De Matas continued, “But when we are revolutionary in a peaceful way without provocation, we should not be punished.”
The statement gathered much applause from the audience, as Reyes has faced criticism for his handling of the protests and calling law enforcement to the encampment on May 7.
Tuesday, Reyes addressed the arrests and treatment of protesters at a special Faculty Senate meeting. The majority of the Student Government Association last week voted ‘no confidence’ in his leadership.
A general faculty meeting is scheduled this coming Monday, May 20 to consider a vote of no confidence motion.
Besides this, attendees were mostly excited to celebrate the Class of 2024. Students, friends and families enthusiastically cheered on their graduates with applause and signs.
Sandra Ling, a first-year Ph.D. candidate in the Isenberg School of Business, attended in support of her graduating friend.
“We got to see a lot of familiar faces, and it’s also very delightful to see all the people taking photos here,” she said about the graduates.
Ling, while aware of the protests, said the possibility of any disruptions did not occur to her until after she heard the applause following De Mata’s statements.
“Before I came to the graduation ceremony, I didn’t think about the protests at all,” she said.
Senior Emmanuelle Sussman, who was arrested last week, said the administration remains at fault for the severity of their response, and should not be able to proceed with business as usual.
"Whatever actions we take are directed at the administration, and, you know, in no way are going to get in the way of people who are graduating and need to graduate and have this graduation," she said.
The group Students for Justice in Palestine announced on social media Thursday their plans to hold an alternate commencement ceremony for Gaza supporters, scheduled to begin an hour after the start of the official ceremony.
The main undergraduate commencement will be held Saturday, May 18 at 10 a.m. in McGuirk Stadium, and individual UMass colleges’ ceremonies will continue throughout the weekend.
NEPM's Sam Hudzik and Ben James contributed to this report.
Disclosure: The license for NEPM’s main radio signal is held by UMass Amherst. The newsroom operates independently.
