The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Friday, February 12, 2010 - 7

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, February 12, 2010 - 7

PRESIDENTS
From Page 1
flagship University - could be the
perfectplace for such an announce-
ment from President Obama.
"I'm sure he'll use it as an occa-
sion to make a policy statement and
Michigan is certainly a place to talk
about transitions from an old econ-
omy to a new economy," he said.
When John F. Kennedy stopped
in Ann Arbor to spend the night
while on the presidential campaign
trail, he stood on the steps of the
Michigan Union at 2 a.m. on Oct.
14,1960 to address a crowd of near-
ly 5,000 students.
Addressingthe assembled group,
Kennedy encouraged students
to give themselves to service in a
way that would benefit developing
countries - a concept that would
lay the foundation for the Peace
Corps.
President Lyndon B. John-
son made a similar major policy
announcement when he spoke
at the University's 1964 spring
commencement. The first sitting
United States president to visit the
University of Michigan, Johnson's
arrival in Ann Arbor was greeted
with much fanfare.
When he arrived on campus on
May22,1964,he disembarked from
one of four identical Marine heli-
copters outside of Michigan Stadi-
um and was personally welcomed
by University President Harlan
Hatcher.
Inside the Big House, John-
son was met with the thunderous
applause of 80,000 spectators in
attendance.
While Johnson came to Ann
Arbor for the supposedly non-
political affair of delivering the
commencement address, according
to an article in The Michigan Daily
at the time, "his appearance was
never free of political overtones
and the peculiar mystique which
always surround the president of
the United States."
The address would become a
seminal moment in 20th-century
United States history. From inside
Michigan Stadium, Johnson laid
out his vision for the Great Society
- a series of social programs that
the president would push over the
course of his years in office that
sought to eliminate poverty and
reduce social injustice.
"Your imagination and your ini-
tiative, and your indignation will
dgtermine whether we build a soci-
ety where progress is the servant
of our needs, or a society where old
values and new visions are buried
under unbridled growth," Johnson
told the crowd. "For in your time
we have the opportunity to move
notonlytoward the richsociety and
the powerful society, but upward to
the Great Society."
Before the speech, Johnson had
occasionally used the phrase "the
Great Society" but it wasn't until
that graduation ceremony that he
made it the linchpin of his presi-
dency.
He concluded as most com-
mencement speeches do, with a
call to action for the graduates in
attendance.
"Those who came to this land
sought to build more than just a
new country. They sought a new
world," Johnson said. "So I have
come here today toyour campus to
say that you can make their vision
our reality. So let us from this
moment begin our work so that in
the future men will look back and

say, 'It was then, after a long and
weary way, that man turned the
exploits of his genius to the full
enrichment of his life."'
Communications and Political
Science Prof. Michael Traugott
REACTION
From Page 1
Michigan football and basketball
teams' lackluster records - the
announcement came as a much-
needed turn of events.
"It's uplifting almost," she said.
"It's exciting that it's a change of
luck."
"I think it's an extreme honor
for our school," LSA sophomore
Luke Chowaniec said. "I'm proud
to be at Michigan and be a part of
the place he chose to come to."
LSA senior Sandra Forlemu
agreed, saying that whatever the
President chooses to address in
his speech will be noteworthy.
"Whatever he decides to talk
about will be inspirational," she
said.
Sam Marvin, chair of the Uni-
versity's chapter of College Dem-
ocrats, said the announcement
was especially exciting in light of
the work the group had done for
obama leading up to and follow-
ing his election.
"It's great whenever you can
have a sitting president come and
speak,"- Marvin said. "It's great
especially in this case because we
are a very liberal campus; even
more so for (College Democrats)
because we have spent so much

President Lyndon B. Johnson delivers the 1964 University commencement address.

said in an interview last night that
he wouldn't be surprised if Obama
used his commencement speech
to make a policy announcement
similar to those of Johnson or Ken-
nedy.
"I think that there's a possibility
and I think (the policy) would be
related to the economy," Traugott
said.
Given that 2010 is going to be an
"economy and jobs year" for the
administration, Traugott said it
seems logical that the University
would be one of the few places to
have the "honor" of hosting the
president for commencement. He
added that the White House has
been supportive of the Michigan
economy, noting Obama's close
relationship with U.S. Senators
Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie
Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Demo-
cratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Prof. Charles Shipan, chair of the
Political Science department, said
it's still too early to tell whether
Obama will use the event to make
a major policy announcement simi-
lar to those made during Johnson's
commencement speech and Ken-
nedy's visit to the University, but
he said Obama's visit to Ann Arbor
does afford the president such an
opportunity.
Shipan said that with major poli-
cy initiatives like those of Kennedy
and Johnson, presidents have the
option of working with Congress
to try and get the legislation passed
or they can make a major address
regarding the initiative and let
Congress handle the rest.
Shipan also Msphaized that
though they are often dubbed as
non-political events, when a sit-
ting or former president gives a
commencement address it almost
always has political implications.
"What the president tries to do
is to balance the fact that he's giv-
ing a talk to the graduates but at the
same time he knows that it's going
to be covered as a political speech
too," Shipan said.
President George H.W. Bush
delivered the spring commence-
ment address for the graduating
class of 1991. In doing so, Bush was
the third sitting president to ever
visit the University and was the
second sitting president to deliver
a commencement address to a class
of graduates in the Big House.
In his speech to graduates, Bush
criticized what he classified as a
growing need for "political cor-
rectness" that he said was being
fostered at universities across the
country.
"The notion of political cor-
rectness has ignited controversy
across the land. And although the
movement arises from the laudable
desire to sweep away the debris of
racism and sexism and hatred, it
replaces old prejudices with new
ones," Bush told graduates at the

time. "It declares certain topics
off-limits, certain expression off-
limits, even certain gestures off-
limits."
Bush also talked about how the
spirit of freedom could help to bet-
ter shape the country in the future.
"We must build a society in
which people can join in common
cause without having to surren-
der their identities," Bush said.
"You can lead the way. Share your
thoughts and your experiences and
your hopes and your frustrations.
Defend others' rights to speak. And
ifharmonybe our goal, let's pursue
harmony, not inquisition."
Bush called on the graduates to
help carry the country to a more
prosperous future.
"My vision for America depends
heavily on you. You must protect
the freedoms of enterprise, speech
and spirit. You must strengthen the
family. You must build a peaceful
and prosperous future," he said.
"We don't need another Great
Society with huge and ambitious
programs administered by the
incumbent few. We need a Good
Society built upon the deeds of the
many, a society that promotes ser-
vice, selflessness., action."
However, Bush's remarks -
many of which were meant to
directly conflict with the initia-
tives set out by Johnson - were
overshadowed by an emergency
visit to the hospital just hours after
he finished his address. After expe-
riencing an irregular heartbeat and
shortness of breath during a jog in
Camp David after his keynote at the
University, Bush spent the night in
a hospital, where he was diagnosed
with the thyroid disorder Graves'
disease.
Regardless of what Obama
chooses to talk about at Michigan
Stadium, Prof. Kolman said the
president will use the appearance
as an opportunity to campaign for
Democrats running in the midterm
elections. -
"He's going to be in a big mode to
do as well as he can for the Demo-
crats and use the occasion to try
to influence a lot of election races
around the country including in
Michigan," he said.
Doing so wouldn't make him
the first president to use political
undertones in a commencement
speech at the University, since
Bush was gearing up for reelection
during his commencement visit.
And President Gerald R. Ford,
a University alum, made numer-
ous visits to Ann Arbor during and
after his presidency. In one of his
most notable visits, the then-vice
president deliveredlthe spring com-
mencement address. Three months
later, Ford rose to the presidency
when President Richard Nixon
resigned.
He returned to the University
in 1976 to launch his presidential

campaign at Crisler Arena in front
of a crowd that filled the entire
venue. And though unsuccessful in
his re-election bid, Ford would con-
tinue to return to the University for
guest lectures, sporting events and,
in 1976,to look on as his wife Betty
delivered the winter commence-
ment address.
Though he wasn't running for
office in 2007, former President
Bill Clinton spoke to the graduat-
ing class as his wife, then-Senator
Hillary Clinton, was locked in the
midst of a heated primary battle
with then-Senator Obama.
In his speech, Clinton empha-
sized the great period of opportu-
nity that graduates were entering
both for themselves and for soci-
ety.
"You are livingin one ofthe most
exciting times in human history,"
Clinton told the crowd of 59,000
alumni, parents and friends, as
well as the 6,500 members of the
class of 2007. "It is exploding with
opportunity. It is bursting with
knowledge."
But, Clinton said, with that
opportunity comes a great deal
of civic duty in a world that is
"unequal, unstable, and unsustain-
able."
"Every time you do anything to
give a poor village a clean water
well, help children get basic health
care, or offer an education ina poor
country where just one year of
schooling is worth another 10 per-
cent of income per year for lifeyou
help to make more partners and
fewer adversaries," he said.
While seriousin content, Clin-
ton's speech had its light moments
as well. After receiving his honor-
ary degree from President Cole-
man, Clintonwas readytohighlight
his wife's presidential campaign.
"I am delighted to be given this
degree by the University of Michi-
gan's first female president. Has
a great ring, don't you think?" he
said.
While presidential visits to the
University have taken both seri-
ous and, at times, humorous tones,
Prof. Shipan said Obama's choice to
deliver a commencement address
in Michigan was a calculated one.
Coming to the state with one of
the worst economies in the coun-
try is a strategic move because the
presidentcan talk aboutthe success
of programs that were beneficial to
Michigan like the auto bailout and
the stimulus package, Shipan said.
On the other hand, he noted that
making such a public speech in the
state could be a big risk for Obama.
"It's a kind of risky thing for
him to do because he's going to a
state with one of the lowest, if not
the lowest, joblessness rates in the
country," he said. "It's a reminder
that many of the problemsahe inher-
ited when he stepped into office are
there."

OBAMA
From Page 1
Michael Traugott and Political
Science Prof. Kenneth Kollman
said they wouldn't be surprised if
Obama uses his commencement
address at the University to launch
a new initiative or make a strong
policy statement.
Kollman stressed the unique
example Michigan represents as
a state mired in the troubles of its
old manufacturing economy but
also one where a transition to a
new economy could yield limitless
possibilities.
Obama will be the fourth United
States president to deliver the com-
mencement address in Ann Arbor.
In 2007, former President Bill
Clinton gave the address and
President George H.W. Bush
spoke at commencement in May
1991. Lyndon B. Johnson was the
first sitting president to address
the University's graduating class
when he spoke in 1964.
Presidents John F. Kennedy and
Gerald R. Ford also gave notable
speeches in Ann Arbor, though
they did not speak at commence-
ment ceremonies.
Kennedy announced the forma-
tion of the Peace Corps from the
steps of the Michigan Union on
Oct.14, 1960, and Ford launched his
presidential campaign at a packed
Crisler Arena on Sept. 15,1976.
Obama, the 44th president of
the United States and the nation's
first black president, is a graduate
of Columbia University where he
earned a bachelor's degree in polit-
ical science and is also an alum of
Harvard Law School, where he
was the first black president of the
Harvard Law Review.
Last year, Obama was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize for"extraor-
dinary efforts to strengthen
internationadiplomacy and coop-
eration between peoples."
In an interview lastnight follow-
ing the announcement, University
Regent Denise Ilitch (D-Bingham
Farms) said she was incredibly
excited to hear that Obama had
accepted the invitation to speak at
commencement.
"I think it is an amazing oppor-
tunity for the University and very,
very exciting that he will be speak-
ing at the Big House for all of us,"
Ilitch said.
"I think it just goes to show
how special the University is, that
we've had many 1residents visit to
give commencement addresses,"
Ilitch said. "I think this just con-
tinues the wonderful reputation
and stature and high regard that
our university has held by presi-
dents and what better president
than President Obama."
Ilitch said she had been aware
of the University's request for
BUDGET
From Page 1
as the current fiscal year.
Cynthia Wilbanks, vice presi-
dent for governmental relations at
the University, wrote in an e-mail
interview that she is glad to see
Granholm's budget has no cuts
to higher education funding, but
noted that the amount of money
allocated to higher education could
change when the House and Senate
review the proposal.
"So at the very start, there is

some good news in that the recom-
mendation doesn't call for a reduc-
tion to higher education,"Wilbanks
wrote. "And I'm optimistic that the
outcome will be positive. But, as
you know, the legislators will soon
begin their work on the state bud-
get and their input is critical to the
final outcome."
State appropriations are a large
factor in planning the University's
budget for next year, including the
status of tuition, Wilbanks wrote.
"The University will work
through the next few months to
construct a budget that meets the
University's needs and the recom-
mendation of the governor will
be* considered," Wilbanks wrote.
"State support is one of many piec-
es of the University's budget."
Wilbanks wrote that she thinks
Granholm's idea for the reinstate-
ment of the Promise Scholarship
- as a tax credit for students who
work in the state for one year after
graduating - will have positive
effects on retaining Michigan's col-
lege graduates and in turn, helping
the state's economy.
"I think there are a number of
features of the plan that focus on
helping the state's economy, includ-
ing the goal of helping to reverse the
brain drain that a lot of people are
worried about," Wilbanks wrote.
State Rep. Joan Bauer (D-Lan-
sing), chair of the House's Appro-

some time, noting that she even
brought it up when she met with
White House officials last month
about her potential bid to become
Michigan's next governor.
"It was kind of interesting
because I was at the White House a
couple weeks ago to meet withsome
ofthepresident's aides and I brought
it up," Ilitch said. "I knew that we
had a request in for the president
to come and speak at the University
and many people around the Uni-
versity were working on obtaining
the president's attendance. When I
had asked them, they said, 'Yes, we
are aware of the request and we've
taken it under advisement"'
The suspense over whether
Obama would accept the invita-
tion made today's announcement
even more special, Ilitch said.
"And so I was especially excited
to hear when it went from 'under
advisement' to a big yes," she said.
"It was very heartening to hear
they had said yes."
Ilitch said she felt the visit
would not only be significant for
the students graduating and those
in attendance, but also for the state
of Michigan as a whole.
"I think it's terrific that he's
coming to Michigan, to our state,"
Ilitch said. "I think the state was
so supportive of him during the
election and so I'm just especially
pleased that he's visiting our state
as well as our university."
In addition to delivering the
commencement address at the
University, The Associated Press
is also reporting that Obama will
speak at Hampton University in
Virginia and one of the nation's
military academies.
Hampton University President
William R. Harvey told the AP
that Obama will speak to Hamp-
ton graduates on May 9.
The Obama administration offi-
cial who told the AP that Obama
would speak at a military academy
spoke on the condition of anonym-
ity and did not say which academy
Obama would speak at.Obamaspoke
at the U.S. Naval Academy last year.
In addition to speaking at the
Naval Academy in 2009, Obama
delivered the commencement
address at Arizona State Universi-
ty and Notre Dame University last
year. Obama's invitation to speak
at ASU's graduation ceremony
drew criticism from some when
the university refused to award
him an honorary degree.
His address to Notre Dame
also turned controversial when a
former Vatican ambassador who
was slated to receive an honor-
ary degree refused to accept the
degree alongside Obama because
of Obama's pro-choice stance on
the issue of abortion.
- Managing News Editor Jillian
Berman contributed to this report.
priations Subcommittee on Higher
Education, said in an interview yes-
terday that Granholm's proposal to
keep higher education spending
at last year's level is a good first
step. But Bauer also said she is
disappointed that the state hasn't
increased funding for students over
the years.
"Even though next year the good
news is University of Michigan will
not receive a cut in state funding,
the bad news is that we continue
to not be increasing our funding
at all, which, with inflation, means
that students are picking up more

and more, and tuition is increas-
ing, which is unfortunate when
we're trying to make college more
affordable and accessible for young
people," Bauer said.
Bauer said the proposed new
Promise Scholarship is importantin
making college more affordable, but
said she is also concerned about how
the state will pay for it in the future
since it's in the form of a tax credit.
"I applaud the governor for rec-
ommending the restoration of the
fundingfor the Michigan Promise,"
Bauer said. "The biggest concern is
that we will have to take a look, and
as a tax credit, we'll have to take
a look down the road when it will
start impacting the budget."
State Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann
Arbor) said though Granholm's
budget includes some positive pro-
posals, including the new Promise
Scholarship, it's going to take time
for her plans to come to fruition,
given the state's continuing eco-
nomic hardships.
"The governor's budget was
delivered in the context of an ongo-
ing fiscal crisis here in the state and
she's got some interesting ideas in
there, and it's going to take time to
study it and see," Brater said.
Granholm's budget plan will
now go to the House and Senate
where its contents will be negoti-
ated, and later this year, given back
to the governor for approval.


time working for him."
Marvin added that having
Obama speak to the graduating
class during one of its final mile-
stones at the University will be an
especially powerful moment.
"It's an amazing feeling just
to know that after four years of a
wonderful experience, and then
Barack Obama's going to be the
one to say, 'now you take your
next step into the real world,"'
Marvin said.
Marvin, an LSA senior, said
having Obama be his commence-
ment speaker is especially poi-
gnant for him, as he is working for
Teach for America next year, and
will be doing work in line with the
president's efforts to reform edu-
cation.
Marvin said he believes
Obama's commencement address
will be a historical moment simi-
lar to when past presidents visited
the University. He cited President
John F. Kennedy's announcement
of the Peace Corps on the steps of
the Michigan Union in 1960 and
President Lyndon B. Johnson's
1964 commencement address in
which he announced the Great
Society program.
Obama's commencement
speech will be a "rekindling" of
his campaign's "messages of hope
and change," Marvin said. He

added that he predicts Obama will
address health care, funding for
K-12 education and higher educa-
tion, and financial regulation.
Charles Bogren, co-chair of
the University's chapter of Col-
lege Republicans, said despite the
fact that he disagrees with Obama
politically, having the sitting
president speak at commence-
ment will still be exciting.
"I don't necessarily agree with
the majority of his policies, but
it really is cool that the Univer-
sity got him to come to our com-
mencement," Bogren said.
Bogren added that he antici-
pates Obama will address Michi-
gan's "brain drain."
"Because there are a lot of top
people who get degrees from our
state and leave, it will be interest-
ing to see what he has to say about
that," Bogren said.
Nathaniel Eli Coats Styer, the
chair of College Democrats last
year, said he expects Obama to
speak about "bringing back a
sense of pride to America."
Styer, a Public Policy senior,
said he also predicts Obama will
discuss his plan to reduce student
loans for post-graduates as well as
the importance of innovations in
engineering and science.
Styer added that Obama's deci-
sion to deliver the commencement

address is indicative of the Uni-
versity's prestige.
"I think this speaks to our clout
as an educational institution, ath-
letic powerhouse (and an) insti-
tution that is on the forefront of
progressive change in this coun-
try," Styer said.
Engineering sophomore Doug-
lass Johnson echoed Styer's sen-
timents, adding that he would be
interested in purchasing a ticket
to the ceremony from a graduat-
ing senior.
"I think it's an honor," he said.
"I wish I were graduating so I
could witness it."
LSA freshman Daniel Hast said
though he's excited that Obama
will be giving the commencement
address, it's for a different rea-
son than most. Hast said he sees
the appearance as an opportunity
to express his discontent with
Obama's policy decisions, noting
that his dissatisfaction with the
president comes "from the left,
not the right."
"I hope there's a good protest
organized," Hast said.
Officials expect about 40,000
people to attend the ceremony,
which will be held in Michigan
Stadium on May 1at 10 a.m.
- Daily Staff Reporter Devon
Thorsby contributed to this report.

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