In an age of burgeoning artificial intelligence, University of Michigan graduates should prioritize seeking the truth, said Winter Commencement speaker Rebecca Blumenstein, president of editorial at NBC News.
“It’s important that you take what you read and consume seriously. There’s a reason why the First Amendment came first. It wasn’t just about protecting a free and independent press,” said Blumenstein, a U-M alumna, during her Dec. 15 remarks at the Crisler Center ceremony.
“It’s also about a free and independent population engaging with that information. Resist the urge to tune out. Feel empowered to engage with stories about communities, your government and even people half a world away.
“Though our world may be on the cusp of great change, I believe that the thing that will stand out is original work and thinking, and how well you solve problems that — let’s face it — abound. AI may be a co-pilot, but the need for you to lead is greater than ever.”
Approximately a thousand graduates, along with family and friends, filled the arena, as faculty members and university leaders sat on stage in ceremonial robes. The Registrar’s Office reported that 4,319 students from terms ending in August and December were eligible to participate in the ceremony.
Blumenstein’s career in journalism began at U-M, where she was editor-in-chief of The Michigan Daily. She later led a Pulitzer-Prize winning team at TheWall Street Journal,served as the paper’s deputy editor-in-chief, and was deputy managing editor at The New York Times. She was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Others who received honorary degrees were:
- John D. Evans, U-M alumnus, philanthropist and co-founder of C-SPAN, Doctor of Laws.
- Henry Louis Gates Jr., literary scholar, educator, historian and TV host, Doctor of Humane Letters.
- Margaret H. Hamilton, pioneering systems and software engineer and computer scientist, Doctor of Engineering.
Blumenstein advised the graduates, as they embarked on life after U-M, to be someone who solves problems instead of complains about them.
“A beloved editor at The Wall Street Journal once told me to be a closer. ‘What does that mean’, I asked? Instead of cc’ing others on an email chain, do whatever is needed to just take care of the problem,” she said.
Blumenstein also encouraged students to take advantage of open doors, even if what lays beyond them is uncertain.
“I never could have predicted that an opportunity to become The Wall Street Journal’s China bureau chief in Beijing would come up — and that the paper would decide to send me, with three young kids and my husband, when we didn’t speak a word of Mandarin between us. But they couldn’t find someone else to go and my fresh eyes ended up being a real asset. The broader lesson here is to try to view change, no matter how unsettling, as an opportunity,” she said.
President Santa J. Ono reminded graduates they had entered the arena as students, but would leave as alumni, a transition that could invite both excitement and uncertainty.
“In this moment of triumph and transition, we all have questions about our next steps. You have questions about your next steps, about how you will move forward and where you will focus your energies. I would counsel you to remember our traditions, to look to our history, to our values, and to consider the example of the recipients of today’s honorary degrees,” he said.
Gates, he said, has “given a voice to the voiceless, recovered lost literary works by African American authors, and expanded our nation’s sense of itself,” while Evans acted as a changemaker in “media, AIDS research, philanthropy, supporting the LGBTQ+ community and political transparency.”
Hamilton had “developed a software patch for Apollo 8, saving the mission,” while Blumenstein has emphasized the importance of ethics amid tumultuous change wrought by the digital age.
“So, as you go forward, take pride in your heritage, whatever it might be, your identity. Look at the success of others, keep learning, keep growing, keep pushing boundaries, and above all, hold true to what you believe in,” Ono said.
During her remarks, Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, shared the story of scientist Barry Marshall, whose research into the cause of ulcers earned him a Nobel Prize — and gastritis.
To prove his hypothesis that ulcers were caused by bacteria, and not by stress and spicy foods, Marshall drank a broth that contained bacteria he believed caused ulcers. This did make him sick to his stomach — and it changed the way the world thought about ulcers.
The moral, McCauley said, is that “the truth is expensive.”
“By ‘expensive,’ I don’t mean monetary cost. I mean that discovering genuine truth requires tremendous investment: of time, of effort, of intellectual honesty, and often of our own comfortable assumptions.”
While she warned against emulating Marshall’s risky research, McCauley said his commitment illustrated an important lesson.
“You’ve earned more than a degree here. You’ve earned something far more valuable: the ability to distinguish between cheap opinions and expensive truths. Use this wisdom well,” she said. “When others rush to judgment, take the time to investigate. When they offer simple answers, have the courage to embrace complexity. Because while the truth may be expensive, its value is beyond measure.”
Julia Stowe, graduating from the College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and operations engineering, was one of three student speakers, along with Sara Hollingshead, who received a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from LSA, and
Sidra Tariq, who earned a Master of Arts in higher education from the Marsal Family School of Education.
Stowe, who was a Campus Day Leader and gave tours to prospective students during her time at U-M, spoke about what she loved to share with future Wolverines.
“Talking about the Block M and the dorms and the dining halls can only take you so far. What I carried with me and spoke about throughout my tours were the stories of the people of the university,” she said.
“Whether it was the students who filled the EECS 280 lecture hall, or the people I used to ride the bus with every morning to class, the vibrancy of campus, and what made it special, were the people who made it feel like home.”
Faculty Senate Chair Rebekah Modrak told students that life — and particularly the first year after college — might unfold in unexpected ways.
“Standing here now at this point in my life, I’ve published books and launched artworks, and I have the honor of being on this stage, but when I left college on the high of collegiate accomplishments, the doors that I knocked on failed to open,” Modrak said.
In her first year out of school, Modrak took a job as a sales clerk at an art supply store and worked as a cocktail waitress in the evening.
“Looking back, this strange, unexpected year off-the-rails makes total sense. Everything I learned in college percolated. I became extremely hungry to be what I missed most — to be an artist. And I saved money for graduate school. When I left Pittsburgh to pursue an MFA, it was with a voracious appetite for making, and an even deeper appreciation for what I might learn,” she said.
“This next year may seem to be the pivotal decider of your life, but it is one step in a long path ahead. Put one foot in front of the other. Pay attention to your instincts and to what you love and follow them.”
