Asna Tabassum receives standing ovation at USC's awards ceremony

University of South California (USC) 2024 valedictorian Asna Tabassum received a standing ovation from her peers at the university's awards ceremony. Sporting a tassel in the colors of Palestine’s flag, Tabassum graduated with a BS in biomedical engineering, molecular and cellular engineering, and a minor in resistance to genocide. Although Tabassum never got to speak at commencement, as her graduation speech was canceled by the university, she did make a statement. The Daily Trojan, USC’s student newspaper, and Annenberg Media, another student newsroom at USC, published what would have been Tabassum’s speech, but with most of it censored by the valedictorian herself.