>> MEANWHILE, BACK HERE IN OUR AREA, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS CANCELING ITS UNIVERSITY WIDE COMMENCEMENT NEXT WEEK. THE MOVE COMES AFTER WEEKS OF TURMOIL ON CAMPUS THAT SPARKED COLLEGE PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. INSTEAD, COLUMBIA WILL HOLD SMALLER SCHOOL LEVEL GRADUATION CEREMONIES NEXT WEEK AS IT CONTINUES TO TRY TO NAVIGATE A PATH FORWARD. EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER STEPH ON CAM IS ON CAMPUS WITH REACTION. STEPHON >> WELL, LIZ, STUDENTS HERE ARE WONDERING WHAT WAS THE POINT OF GOING THROUGH ALL THE TROUBLE OF CLEARING OUT THE ENCAMPMENT IF THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE A GRADUATION ANYWAY? >> AND THEY'RE ALSO WONDERING ABOUT THE SECURITY CONCERNS. WHY ARE THERE SECURITY CONCERNS IF THIS CAMPUS HAS BEEN AND CAN BE LOCKED DOWN? LAST WEEK ON THE CAMPUS OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, IT LOOKED LIKE THIS. TODAY IT LOOKS LIKE THIS. OUTSIDE THE CAMPUS. IT WENT FROM THIS. TO THIS, ONLY A DOZEN OR SO DEMONSTRATORS DEMANDING DIVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL. AND THIS WAS THE POLICE PRESENCE AROUND HERE LAST WEEK. THIS IS THE NYPD ON CAMPUS TODAY. MUCH OF THE BOILING ANGER EVAPORATING. BUT NOW THERE'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF FRUSTRATION AIMED AT THE ADMINISTRATION. >> STUDENTS ARE PRETTY UPSET. GENERALLY >> THIS STUDENT IS A SENIOR. MANY IN HIS CLASS MISSED OUT ON A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. TWO BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. CAMPUS IS OPERATING ON LIKE 10, 5, AND WE'RE STILL PAYING FULL TUITION AND WATCHING ALL THIS UNFOLD AND NOT GETTING GRADUATION TO COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CANCELED ITS CAMPUS WIDE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY, INSTEAD CHOOSING TO FOCUS ON SMALLER SCHOOL BASED CEREMONIES. ADDING IN A STATEMENT, OUR STUDENTS EMPHASIZE THAT THESE SMALLER SCALE, SCHOOL BASED CELEBRATIONS ARE MOST MEANINGFUL TO THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY'RE EAGER TO CROSS THE STAGE TO APPLAUSE AND FAMILY PRIDE AND HEAR FROM THEIR SCHOOLS. INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS. ONE OF THE REASONS COLUMBIA SAID IT HAD CALLED IN THE NYPD LAST TUESDAY WAS IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE SCHOOL WIDE CEREMONY IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THE ENCAMPMENT. >> I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE ALL THIS LIKE EXCESSIVE POLICE FORCE, UNLESS THEY WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE CAMPUS GRADUATION, COLUMBIA SPOKESPERSON SAYS A LARGE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY ON CAMPUS PRESENTED INSURMOUNTABLE SECURITY CONCERNS. >> THAT RATIONALE NOT GOING OVER WELL WITH SOME STUDENTS, EITHER. >> YOU HAVE GATES THAT YOU CAN CLOSE AND, YOU KNOW, OPEN CERTAIN CERTAIN ENTRANCES. SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY. >> THEN THERE WAS THE WAY THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED. STUDENTS SAY THEY LEARNED OF IT FROM THE MEDIA FIRST. >> THEY ONLY SENT OUT AN EMAIL AT 1038. ALMOST EVERYONE FOUND OUT FROM LIKE GETTING NEWS ALERTS ON THEIR PHONE. >> I WOULD HAVE RATHER THEM EMAIL US OR SEND US LIKE A MESSAGE. >> SO KIND OF LIKE A BETRAYAL. YEAH, THEY'RE NOT TELLING US, YOU KNOW, AND WE GET THIS EMAIL THAT DOESN'T EVEN SAY COMMENCEMENT IS GETTING CANCELED. THEY SAY CLASS DAY IS GETTING MOVED. AND SO THEY'RE BEING VERY CRYPTIC ABOUT IT. >> MANY STUDENTS SAY THEY HAVE PARENTS WHO'VE ALREADY BOOKED FLIGHTS AND HOTEL STAYS. >> COLUMBIA SAYS IT MAY HOLD A FESTIVE EVENT ON MAY 15TH INSTEAD. >> NYU, BY THE WAY, FOR ITS PART , IS MOVING FORWARD WITH ITS PLANNED GRADUATION AT YANKEE STADIUM
