Class Day and Baccalaureate Speakers Touch on Political Climate, Free Speech

The Class of 2025’s Class Day celebration on Monday, May 26, was met with an overwhelmingly positive response even after a movement to condemn the choice of wellness podcaster Jay Shetty h’25 as the keynote speaker.

Students had objected to Shetty because of allegations that he has engaged in plagiarism. The New York Times bestselling author and former monk told members of the class that they should focus on their own purpose and happiness rather than the opinions of others.

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Wellness podcaster Jay Shetty speaks during Class Day 2025.

Matt Raspanti / Princeton University

The ceremony also featured recognitions of several students with outstanding academic, athletic, and service records, as well as the presentation of class jackets to honorary class members.

One honorary class member, Catalina Esther Maldonado-Lopez h’25, a dining hall worker, was the only person during the event to receive a standing ovation from the class.

“She is the reason the dining hall’s culture has become warm and welcoming during our formative years here at Princeton,” said Stephen Padlo ’25.

Several speakers during the ceremony mentioned the current political climate in the United States, emphasizing the values of free speech and University research.

The day prior, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ’75 addressed the Class of 2025 in the Chapel at the Baccalaureate, praising the legacy of American universities and the power of public service.

Powell has been under intense scrutiny from the Trump administration. As the chair of the Federal Reserve, Powell plays a key role in setting interest rates for the country, and Trump has been critical of the pace Powell has taken in cutting rates since even before taking office in January. Powell’s comments about the importance of American higher education also fly in the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on elite American universities, including Princeton.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ’75 speaks at Princeton’s 2025 Baccalaureate ceremony.

Princeton University; Matt Raspanti

A woman stood up during President Christopher Eisgruber ’83’s Class Day speech with a Palestinian flag and yelled, “You have blood on your hands.” Despite wearing what appeared to be a Class Jacket, the woman, who has not been publicly identified,   was not a student, according to University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill.

The woman was escorted off Cannon Green, and her screams could be heard for several  minutes during the ceremony as she was handcuffed and arrested. "She was charged with disorderly conduct, defiant trespassing and resisting arrest, and has been banned from campus," Morrill said.

One of the class heralds, Jeffrey Chen ’25, reminded his class of the power of saying “no,” making a dig at another Ivy League school in the process.

“If you want to capitulate and say yes to everything that’s demanded of you, that’s OK,” Chen said. “I’m sure Columbia University’s administration has an open spot.”