New College of Florida graduates protest conservative takeover with alternative commencement ceremony.

Graduates of New College of Florida held an "alternative commencement" at an art gallery in Sarasota, defying the state officials who are altering the character of their school. The event was a prelude to Friday's official graduation on campus, where a new group of leaders put in place by Gov. Ron DeSantis is working to turn the liberal arts school into one with a more "classical" bent. The changes have come on top of other setbacks that have weighed heavily on this class, which has lived through three of the most tumultuous years in New College history.