6C - Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Sanjay Gupta addresses graduating class of 2012.
Saiijay Gupta offers life
lessons at theb Big House
By PAIGE PEARCY
Daily News Editor
The doctor
reflects on the best
Michigan has to
offer
APRIL 28, 2012 - Over the
weekend, 11,574 graduates
received their tickets to leave Ann
Arbor, to stop checking CTools
and to never turn in another blue
book exam.
In the Big House, blanketed
with overcast skies, the Univer-
sity graduates sat for about two
hours to hear speakers, including
Universitv alum Saniav Guant
and receive the official recogni-
tion of their degrees.
Gupta, who is the chief medi-
cal correspondent for CNN and a
practicing neurosurgeon, started
his speech with his long-felt per-
sonal attachment to Ann Arbor,
beginning with his parents meet-
ing in the city and leading to his
eventual attendance at the Uni-
versity. for undergraduate and
medical school.
"Not only was the foundation
for most of my life conceived in
this town, I myself was likely con-
ceived in this town," Gupta said.
"Best bet is the 17th floor of the
University Towers - but no one's
talking for sure."
Gupta then delved into 10 more
serious lessons for the graduates
while he stood on the podium.
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"Lesson number one: always
respect your elders," Gupta
began. "There's no doubt that our
parents seem to grow smarter
as we grow older, but truth is
they also sacrificed an incredible
amount to allow our lives be what
they are, and it is on their shoul-
ders that we realize our greatest
triumphs."
Other lessons included advice
to make the impossible possible
and to always cheer for the Wol-
verines.
"If you ever cheer for another
team in competition with the
Wolverines, then some 500,000
alumni will hunt you down and
paint you maize and blue," Gupta
said.
He also said the graduates
should drink a beer at Ashley's,
which was met with applause
from listeners and prompted
Gupta to offer to buy drinks for
anyone he saw out on the night of
commencement - and the cheers
continued.
Gupta told anecdotes about
his children and his experiences
reporting abroad that have put
his life at risk.
He spoke about a time when he
was in a war zone in Afghanistan
and his camp was being invad-
ed by enemy soldiers. He was
instructed to write a letter to his
loved ones in case of his death.
He suggested the graduates think
about what they would write in
such a situation.
"I don't know what you'd
write, and maybe you've never
thought two seconds about it,
but lesson number five graduates,
- - - 0-
make sure you can write this sen-
tence: 'I am who I always wanted
to be,"' he said.
As the speakers in the stadium
were still echoing Gupta's final
words, the crowd erupted with a
"Go Blue" chant. University Pres-
ident Mary Sue Coleman paused
to laugh before continuing with
the ceremony.
During apress conference after
the speech, where Gupta donned
a navy blazer and maize socks, he
said Coleman asked him to be the
commencement speaker at a foot-
ball game.
"It was a tremendous honor,"
he said. "I think it was particu-
larly exhilarating just being in the
Big House when I was asked to do
it because this place has profound
memories for me."
After the ceremony, Gupta
also said that while the current
economy is challenging, he feels
the graduates have an advantage
when it comes to finding jobs with
their degrees from the University.
"I think Michigan gradu-
ates are pretty uniquely pre-
pared in our collective society,"
Gupta said. "It's tough (with) the
economy, but I think Michigan
grads probably have a leg up just
because of the education they
have and also the resources in
terms of the alumni."
Gupta explained during his
speech the ways he defines the
Michigan tradition, telling the
graduates to never forget what
the tradition means as they go
forth in their lives.
See GUPTA, Page7C
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Editor stresses
perseverance
to winter grade
By ANDREW SCHULMAN from New Hampshire, she said she
Daily StaffReporter could feel her career as a success-
ful journalist becoming increas-
.ma s inglytangible. She began study!
The New York Times, which sihe
students to face hadread "addictively"since junior
high school, Abramson said
tough economy "The elegance of the writing,
the accuracy and bravery with
head on which it was assembled, just daz-
zled me," Abramson said.
DEC. 18, 2011 - As Jill Abramson succeeded Bill Keller
Abramson, executive editor of The as executive editor of The New
New York Times, took the podium York Times on Sept. 6, becoming
at Crisler Arena Sunday to deliver the first woman to lead the news-
the keynote address at Winter paper in its 160-year history. She
Commencement, she warned stu- joined the Times in 1997, previ-
dents that her speech may not ously serving as the newspaper's
echo the optimism of Steve Jobs's managing editor and Washington
address to Stanford graduates in bureau chief.
2005. Abramson also lauded the value
Abramson instead advised of quality journalism, urging stu-,
students to persevere, and not dents to remain inquisitive abo t
become deterred by the diffi- the nature and accuracy of t
culties they would likely face in news they receive, and to seek out
securingrareers amid a struggling reliable sources.
economy. She shared her personal "I'm asking all of you to rec-
story of climbing the ranks at ognize and insist on having real
America's foremost newspaper quality news," she said. "... Quality
and the difficulties she faced - journalism is a human deed. Never
particularly as a woman in a tradi- forget this."
tionallymale-dominatedfield --as Coleman, University Provost
she encouraged studentsuthat their Philip Hanlon and LSA graduate
dream job is attainable with hard Joey McCoy, who was the student
work and time. speaker, also delivered speeches at
"You may not find that dream the ceremony, similarly discussing
job a month from now or even a the economy as a concern, while
year from now," Abramson said. lauding the value of a University
"But you will find it, and to do it degree in overcoming obstacles to.
excellently, you need to work at attaining desirable careers.
being well informed. Youlearn the Inher speech, Coleman said the
skills you need for that right here graduates will face considerable
at Michigan. You learn to question challenges, but she's confident
everything and to insist on finding they'll be able to overcome the
out the truth." "tenuous" economy.
Aside from Abramson, who "We couldn't be happier for
received a Doctorate of Humane you," Coleman said. "You've
Letters degree, the University also reached this achievement because
bestowed honorary degrees to three you believed in yourselv
other individuals atthe ceremony. believed in your professorsi
Nancy Cantor, chancellor of most significantly believed in a
Syracuse University, received an future that demands talented, cre-
honorary Doctor of Laws degree ative people."
at the ceremony. Leslie Benet, Hanlon said the skills students
professor of biopharmaceuti- learned at the University "the spe-
cal sciences and pharmaceutical cial sauce" that will render th
chemistry atrthe University of Cal- effective leaders of their generat
ifornia, San Francisco, and Rob- "As you go forward, seek out
ert Putnam, the Peter and Isabel and embrace the complex prob-
Malkin professor of public policy lems and opportunities that
in the John F. Kennedy School of the world has to offer," he said.
Government at Harvard Univer- "You've done that at Michigan, so
sity, both received an honorary we know you can succeed, and we
Doctorate of Science degree. look forward with great pride and
In her address, Abramson traced interest in watching you make a
the are of her own career to illus- difference in the world."
trate the importance of persis- Engineering graduate Rishab
tence, beginning with her work Aggarwal said he appreciated
as a secretary in Time magazine's Abramson's honestly about the
Boston bureau after she graduated difficulties graduates would likely
college. She said one ofherfirst real face as well as the reassurance
assignments was to cover two little- that the University had provided
known candidates in the 1976 New them with skills necessary for
Hampshire presidentialprimary. being successful.
Abramson said she felt out of LSA graduate Lily Liao, mean-
place as she covered the primary, while, said she will most reme-
watching the predominantly male ber Coleman emphasizing tAi
reporters scrawl in small note- students need to have confidence
books that they then placed in in their skills and abilities.
their chest pockets. "Always believe in yourself,"
"I had neither the right note- Liao said. "I mean, the future is
book, nor such a pocket," she said. hard, but you have to believe in
In the weeks after she returned yourself. Otherwise you're r
Are you the first in your family to attend college?
Then First-Gens @ Michigan is for YOU!!
"WE MAY BE THE FIRST,
BUT WE WON'T BE THE LAST!"
For more information please email firstgeninfo@umich.edu
or visit our website at
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/frstgens/home
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