New College of Florida graduation: Boos for Joe Ricketts, cheers for student president

[mahatmakanejeeves]

EDUCATION
New College of Florida graduation: Boos for Joe Ricketts, cheers tfor student president

Steven Walker
Sarasota Herald-Tribune

New College of Florida graduated its senior class Friday at a ceremony with scattered boos and jeers directed at the evening’s commencement speaker: conservative billionaire Joe Ricketts.

In a technical difficulty-filled speech cut off early by New College President Richard Corcoran, Ricketts talked about how he earned his wealth and warned the graduates about the challenges of artificial intelligence. As the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade spoke, the student section would erupt in boos, chant “free Palestine” and expletives. Students also wore stoles bearing the flag of Palestine, following a national trend of higher education protests against the war in Gaza.

“They don’t care,” Ricketts said to Corcoran on stage after stopping his speech. “I hate it, but they really don’t care what I have to say.”

Ricketts previously launched an online degree program at New College in January, and emails from Ricketts containing racist and Islamophobic sentiments leaked in 2019, which drew criticism and backlash.

{snip}

[Walleye]

1. Apparently they do care what he has to say, and they are against it

[marble falls]

2. Like the 60s! I welcome it, even if I may not agree with the causes, I agree with free speech and the opportunity on...

... occasion to test the limits of that freedom in court, up to the SCOTUS if necessary.

Democracy by nature needs to be messy and loud on occasion. It's how we find out out where the Bill of Rights ends and where the law begins. That's how the Constitution is a living document, it adjusts itself without becoming ridged, cracking and falling apart.

[HAB911]

3. Anything that pisses off Corcoran and Ricketts

is good in my book

[Timeflyer]

4. The two-legged Burmese pythons who devoured New College don't care about the students, they've got their

Hillsdale College South Campus now.