Harvard faces difficulty in securing class day graduation speaker

Harvard College is facing a speaker crisis for its upcoming annual Class Day event, with more than 10 prominent figures declining offers to deliver the keynote address to graduating seniors. The Harvard Alumni Association is now in a frenzy trying to find a last-minute solution to the problem.

The reasons for the speaker drought range from concerns about affiliating with the institution, which has been embroiled in protests from anti-Israel students and faculty, to scheduling conflicts and demanding honorariums. The campus is currently hosting a Columbia-style tent encampment as the search for a speaker continues.

Names on the list from the Senior Class Committee include Matt Damon, former President Obama, and Dr. Shaquille O’Neal. In the past, Class Day speakers have included President Biden and former Vice President Al Gore.

Meanwhile, controversy has already erupted over the selection of Philippino activist Maria Ressa as the keynote speaker for the university’s commencement ceremony. Ressa’s news organization, Rappler, published an editorial comparing Israel to Nazi Germany shortly after a terrorist attack by Hamas, sparking backlash.

Rep. Elise Stefanik has criticized Ressa as an “antisemitic commencement speaker,” adding fuel to the fire of the ongoing speaker dilemma at Harvard. The search for a suitable speaker continues as the clock ticks down to the Class Day event.