Graduation ceremonies are typically tightly scripted affairs, with approved student speakers sticking to carefully vetted remarks that avoid rocking the boat too much. But at Harvard’s Class of 2024 commencement, one student took a brave risk and went rogue with an impassioned speech that deviated from the standard script. And her boldness in voicing unfiltered perspectives was met with a defiant standing ovation from the crowd.
The student speaker, whose name has not been widely reported, appeared to start off on conventional footing. As a first-generation student from immigrant parents in Nebraska, she spoke about the power of “not knowing” – remaining open and humble to learning new perspectives outside one’s previous limited scope. So far, so good for a commencement address.
But then she took an unexpectedly candid turn. The speaker recounted how the Class of 2024’s Harvard experience has been shaped by major societal uncertainties and injustices. From campus Covid disruptions, to the overturning of Roe v Wade’s abortion rights, to threats against affirmative action reaching the Supreme Court – this class faced its fair share of “uncharted waters” as she put it.
Her remarks became increasingly impassioned as she condemned the discipline of 13 undergraduate students who were barred from walking at commencement for their involvement in Palestine solidarity protests. “I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus,” she stated defiantly.
In that moment, the speaker seemed to go decisively off-script, shifting from an expected inspirational commencement speech to a bold critique of Harvard’s actions and policies. Referencing the nearly 1,500 students who petitioned against the harsh sanctions, she asked pointedly “Harvard, do you hear us?”
You could hear a pin drop as the student pressed Harvard on its failure to uphold free speech and civil liberties. Continuing to go rogue with her vehement remarks, she framed the Palestinian protesters’ plight as “about liberty, this is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles.” With raised voice, she repeated, driving the point home – “Harvard, do you hear us??”
It was a truly jaw-dropping moment of candor that felt almost seditiously defiant for such a prestigious university’s graduation ceremony. Rather than sticking to platitudes, this student had a moral fire burning within, calling out Harvard’s hypocrisy for silencing dissent and activism surrounding the deeply contested Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
And remarkably, rather than sitting in awkward silence at these unauthorized reproaches against the institution, the audience erupted in raucous cheers and a standing ovation. The visceral reaction signaled that this student speaker had dared to say what many were feeling – that Harvard had gone too far in quashing civil liberties and brutally disciplining the pro-Palestinian protestors.
In the most literal sense, the speaker had indeed gone entirely “off script.” But in that unscripted moment of impassioned Truth, she tapped into the broader discontent over Harvard’s actions and became a voice for the voiceless protesters. Her willingness to risk the ire of the institution and “go rogue” on such a prominent stage demonstrated incredible moral courage.
While the identities and motivations of the disciplined protesters are still being debated, this student didn’t let the official commencement narrative whitewash the emotional controversy. She demanded accountability from an institution that claims to uphold lofty ideals of free speech and civic engagement.
In the end, the ovation illustrated that this student’s courage to go off-script resonated powerfully with the audience. Sometimes the most meaningful, impactful moments are the entirely unscripted ones. And sometimes graduation speakers need to ditch the pre-approved niceties to speak truth to power.