Student Union
This Year's Most Shocking Graduation Speech
VOA Learning English contributed to this report.
College and university commencement exercises, where graduates are awarded their diplomas for completing their studies, can be long, drawn out and sometimes boring.
But many colleges strive to present inspiring or entertaining ceremonies, featuring well-known speakers who deliver wit and wisdom about the graduates' futures. The larger or more well-known the school, the more likely its commencement speaker will be popular or famous.
The 2019 commencement season is no exception. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will speak at Harvard University in Massachusetts. Vice President Mike Pence will speak at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Bill Nye "The Science Guy" will speak at Cornell University, also in upstate New York.
Television personality and media mogul Oprah Winfrey spoke at Colorado College in Colorado Springs about the importance of serving the greater good.
'You will lend a hand'
"The truth is, you cannot fix everything," Winfrey said. "But what you can do, here and now, is make a decision, because life is about decisions. And the decision is that you will use your life in service; you will be in service to life. You will speak up. You will show up. You will stand up. You will sit in. You will volunteer. You will vote. You will shout out. You will help. You will lend a hand."
Actor Kristen Bell spoke at the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts commencement.
"When you respect the idea that you are sharing the Earth with other humans, and when you lead with your nice foot forward, you'll win, every time," said Bell. "It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow. … But I promise you, it will appear exactly when you need it."
But few have gained as much attention as this year's speaker at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities.
Morehouse's 2019 commencement speaker was Robert F. Smith, founder of the investment company Vista Equity Partners and one of the wealthiest African-Americans in the United States.
On May 19, Smith didn't just deliver a commencement speech — he announced to the nearly 400 Morehouse graduates that he would pay off their student loan debt.
'A little fuel in your bus'
"On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we're going to put a little fuel in your bus," Smith said, followed by cheers from the crowd.
The estimated cost of Smith's promise is $40 million. This is in addition to the $1.5 million he donated to Morehouse in January.
"I don't have to live off of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches," said Aaron Mitchom, 22, who graduated with a degree in finance. "I was shocked. My heart dropped. We all cried. In the moment it was like a burden had been taken off."
Mitchom told The Associated Press he had taken out $200,000 in student loans to pay for his education at Morehouse. Weeks before graduation, he had calculated how long it would take him to settle that debt: Twenty-five years if he paid half of his expected earnings every month.
Student debt is a concern for many college students and their families. The U.S. central banking system, or Federal Reserve, reports that student loan debt reached a record high this year of $1.5 trillion.
Smith had one request: He asked the Morehouse graduates to help others the way they had been helped and said he hoped that "every class has the same opportunity going forward."
"Because we are enough to take care of our own community," Smith added. "We are enough to ensure that we have all the opportunities of the American dream. And we will show it to each other through our actions and through our words and through our deeds."
See all News Updates of the Day
Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
