What a time to be a student
What a time to be a student
"It's obviously a crazy time to be graduating, but I think that's just kind of what we've come to expect as Gen Z folks," one senior told me.
What. A. Week.
Following the chaos at Columbia Tuesday, similar efforts were made by university administrators and police to clamp down on pro-Palestinian encampments and demonstrations across the country. Even a school like Dartmouth (which was praised for the way it handled conversations about the war in the Middle East after October 7, successfully holding space for students and faculty to come together), 90 people were arrested on Wednesday and the campus’ encampment was dismantled.
On my walk to a local coffee shop Friday morning, I saw police officers with batons and face shields nearby where the NYU encampment was also taken down in the early morning hours. The photos below show the police and media presence that followed.
It’s too early to tell where the movement will go from here. But it looks like most college graduations will carry on. According to a message addressed to graduates and their families at Indiana University (which is set to hold its commencement ceremony today), the school said there would be “designated area for protests outside the venue” of ceremonies. CNN has a piece on the security measures being taken at graduations across the country.
It’s quite a time to be a student.
This week for Teen Vogue, I wrote about how college seniors are feeling tense, frustrated, and even "numb," as anti-war protests rage ahead of graduation ceremonies across the country.
"It's obviously a crazy time to be graduating, but I think that's just kind of what we've come to expect as Gen Z folks," one senior said.
As another told me: “I want to feel united with my senior class and that’s just not how I feel at all.”
This is the same senior class that graduated high school amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and while the students note that these two world events are not the same, both have disrupted their quintessential senior year experiences.
You can read from their perspectives here.
Beyond the students I’ve spoken with, I’ve had many conversations with colleagues, friends, and family members about this pivotal moment in campus culture. But I’d love to hear from you as well. What are your biggest takeaways? What’s missing from the conversation?
In non protest news, I also wrote this week for Vogue about a group chat of young progressive politicos who lean on each other for support in a world where most of their colleagues are three times their age — at least.
In a behind-the-scenes look at their friendship, Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, digital strategist Annie Wu Henry, and press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign Brandon Wolf share their favorite memories (Rep. Jones’ first time on a roller coaster at Universal), texting antics (Rep. Frost is often the last to reply), and how they’re looking to bring youthful, bold energy to the conservative South (and country).
