Lly lidligan +. aity GRADUATION Tuesday, April 21,2009 AS CLASSES FINALLY COME TO A CLOSE, FINAL EXAMS are the only thing standing between you outgoing seniors and the daunt- ing challenges of the real world. Sooner than you may want to accept, you will be the movers and shakers of society - the businessmen, sci- entists, athletes, lawyers, writers, artists, engineers and all the other professionals who give us in the newspaper business things to write about. When you accept that diplo- ma, you're not just adding another ornate certificate to your collection. You're taking your place in a world in need of talented minds and different perspectives. This section exists to help you look back at your time here, rediscover the events that shaped your experi- ence at the University and learn from that experience as you go out and impact the world around you. The things you've learned here - both in and out of the classroom - will be invaluable resources in the journey ahead. You've all learned to pull all- nighters, to dress for the chilliest of days and to distinguish what work you need to do for from what you're merely encouraged to do. But beyond these day-to-day chores, there were times that took you beyond the rou- tine, forcing you to examine both your own choices and the choices of those around you. These moments came in many flavors, from exhila- rating to exhausting to downright excruciating. Or as we like to say... (1) ANNA BAKEMAN/Daily (2) SAID ALSALAH/Daily (3) RODRIGO GAYA/Daily (4) JED MOCH/Daily (5) ROB MIGRIN/Daily (6) ANNA BAKEMAN/Daily (7) CLIF REEDER/Daily (8) CLIF REEDER/Daily THE GOOD Sometimes you just can't help but smile. Whether it's the A you can't believe you got, the professor who truly inspired you or the assignment that took all night to finish but ended up being the most fun you've ever had, academia probably put a grin on your face once or twice. Politics finally gave us something to celebrate. The cam- paign for and election of Barack Obama as the next presi- dent of the United States ushered in a new era of political activism for our generation. Along with this victory came the passage of Proposals 1 and 2, legalizing medical mari- juana and paving the way for new stem cell research respec- tively. And of course there's basketball. Head Coach John Beilein took Michigan to the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade and brought some much-needed optimism to Michigan athletics. ' , Even the campus itself thrived. The new Ross School of Business opened for, well, business. And the newly-renovat- ed University of Michigan Museum of Art finally opened to the art-starved masses. But most importantly, you've made some real friends here. They got you through the hard times and made the good times even better. Years from now, you can all go grab a beer and fondly remember your time spent at the University. THE BAD Wouldn't college be so much better if it weren't for all those pesky classes? While there are certainly classes that captivate students, there are undoubtedly many more that leave students sleeping, drooling or mindlessly doing Sudoku at their desks. And if one of those tedious classes required the operation and maintenance of a Quizdom remote, then you've truly been through hell and back. What makes the bad classes worse, though, is how much you paid to take them. Tuition went up 34.6 percent over your four years here. Then the economy came along and brought even greater burdens upon many of you. And because of the economy, you'll have a more difficult time getting a full-time job to pay your massive loans. The economy also took away some of our most beloved businesses. For you loyal customers of Red Hot Lovers and those of you who bought last-minute gifts for your family at Steve and Barry's your freshman year, the closing of these staple stores is a thing to be mourned. But possibly the most glaring blemish on the last four years was the banning of affirmative action. Glaringly misnamed the Michigan Civil Rights Act, the passage of Proposal 2 in 2006 undermined everything that decades of civil rights laws sought to accomplish, and it damaged the Uninversity's ability to promote a diverse and accepting campus. THE UGLi Disgusting things aren't always so bad, right? Well, at least they build character. In your time here, you've probably seen your fair share of vomit, whether it was out on the street, on a frat-house floor or in the bathroom of your dorm. And chances are at least one of those instances was caused by the dorm food. While it could have definitely been worse, it could have been much better. If it tasted like it was a week old, looked like it was a week old and smelled like it was a week old, then you still had no choice but to eat it. The downturn of Michigan football certainly inspired its fair share of disgust. Some call it a "transition year" and others "the death of an era," but almost everyone calls ita disaster. But the Michigan football team wasn't the only meltdown in Michigan Stadium during your time here. The Universi- ty's failure to provide wheelchair-accessible seating in the stadium was downright embarrassing. And its moving of commencement to a new location due to stadium renovations was equally botched (though graduation on the Diag turned out to be kind of cool). But without a doubt, the ugliest, most vile and repulsive thing to ooze its way into your college experience was the fagade of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. Come on - it's in the name.