But in Texas, Saturday night was set for an uncomfortable scene.
As reported by The College Fix, a group of students planned to walk out of the commencement in protest.
The reason for their revolt: the school’s use of 1903-penned song “The Eyes of Texas.”
According to opponents of the tune, it’s downright racist.
More specifically, it’s anti-black.
The folks’ Facebook page laid it out:
After years of protesting the usage of “The Eyes of Texas” for its anti-Black racist history and months of concentrated efforts on the part of students and allied faculty to replace the school song, it has been confirmed that [the song], despite the racism it represents, will be played at graduation.
UT’s school song had ‘no racist intent’ despite complicated history, report finds
Confronting not erasing the university’s past is key to uniting Longhorns, committee says.
A committee tasked with documenting the history of The Eyes of Texas, the University of Texas at Austin s controversial alma mater song, released a detailed report Tuesday along with 40 recommendations for the school to address its past and encourage difficult conversations.(Courtesy)
This story was updated throughout to include responses from UT alumni.
While “The Eyes of Texas” may have a troubled history, it wasn’t created with a racist intent and there is a “very low likelihood” that the song is actually linked to Confederate Army Commander Robert E. Lee, according to a University of Texas committee report.
UT alumni, students upset by donor threats to pull money if ‘Eyes of Texas’ goes away
Students have protested the alma mater song because of its racist background, but UT President Jay Hartzell has said that it will continue to be played at football games and events.
The University of Texas at Austin s alma mater which is sung the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” was first played in a minstrel show with performers in blackface and connected to a saying from Confederate Army Commander Robert E. Lee.(gregobagel / Getty Images)
Emails from alumni threatening to pull hefty donations unless the University of Texas keeps a controversial song tradition didn’t sit well with many other graduates, even those who have fond memories of the tune.
Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0
UT students and football players singing The Eyes of Texas after a win.
AUSTIN, Texas The Texas Longhorns had just lost to rival Oklahoma for the third time in a row this time after a quadruple overtime.
The bruising loss was quickly overshadowed when then-Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger stood alone on the field for the playing of the university’s alma mater song The Eyes of Texas, a postgame tradition. The rest of the team, who typically stay to sing the song with fans at the end of games, had retreated from the field.
For many University of Texas at Austin students who had spent months protesting and petitioning the school to get rid of The Eyes of Texas, it was gutting to see the student leader seemingly taking a stand. (Ehlinger later said he was only lingering alone on the field to talk with coaches.) The song played to the tune of I’ve been working on the railroad was historically performed at campus minstrel shows, and the title
It is disgraceful to see the lack of unity and our fiercest competitor Sam E[h]linger standing nearly alone, wrote one graduate whose name was also redacted by the university to protect the identity of a donor. It is symbolic of the disarray of this football program which you inherited. The critical race theory garbage that has been embraced by the football program and the university is doing massive irreparable damage.
Among the donors who reached out was billionaire businessman and alumnus Bob Rowling, whose holding company owns Omni Hotels and Gold’s Gym and whose name graces a building within the McCombs School of Business.