U.S. president Barack Obama, speaking at the University of Michigan’s Al Glick Fieldhouse on Friday morning, Jan. 27. His remarks focused on the issue of education and college affordability. (Photos by Mary Morgan.)

Also not wanting to miss Barack Obama’s appearance at the University of Michigan – a return visit after delivering the commencement address in May of 2010 – were dozens of other national, state and local media. Attention is heightened even more during this election year, and Friday morning’s speech was just one of many stops as Obama hit the road following Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

There will be countless reports and opinions offered on the Jan. 27 speech at UM, but we’d encourage you to approach it unfiltered, at least initially. You can watch the roughly 40-minute speech in its entirety online, or read a transcript of it here.

For Obama’s remarks almost two years ago at the 2010 UM commencement, we provided a bit of our own analysis, along with photos by Myra Klarman.

This time, we went with an eye for recording the community connections we could see at the event. And there were many – not surprisingly for a Democratic stronghold like Ann Arbor. Politicians were easy to spot, of course, but there were also educators, business owners, government workers and many others.

Over 3,000 people attended Friday morning’s speech. Here are a few of those we encountered there.

Eugene Kang, left, lost a close race for a spot on the Ann Arbor city council several years ago – and now has to content himself as the president’s special projects coordinator and assistant. State Rep. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, top left, had worked on Kang’s council campaign. In the foreground is state Sen. Rebekah Warren and her husband Conan Smith, chair of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners.

Susan Pollay, director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

Deborah Ball, dean of UM’s School of Education, gets camera instructions from Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, before the president’s speech. Satchwell is standing with Tracey Van Dusen, a Pioneer High School government teacher who was a 2010 Classroom Teaching Ambassador Fellow with the U. S. Department of Education.

Washtenaw County commissioner Yousef Rabhi (in light blue cap and scarf, with beard) and Andy LaBarre (back right), a candidate for commissioner and former aide to Congressman John Dingell.

Ann Arbor city administrator Steve Powers had a height advantage over some of the other spectators at the Jan. 27 event.

Jim Kosteva, UM’s director of community relations, glides down the risers.

Jason Brooks, a management analyst in the Washtenaw County administrator’s office and a 2011 Ann Arbor Chronicle Bezonki Award winner, got a prime spot next to the stage. 

Many people in the crowd were taking photos and texting on their iPhones or other mobile devices and sending the information to the Internet in realtime. But one man passed the minutes waiting for the president by reading an account of the previous day’s news printed off on multiple sheets of paper – a so-called “news paper.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, leaning over in the center of the huddle, prompted a brief media scrum before the start of Obama’s speech.

Media photographers stood on risers for a clear view of the speaker’s podium. Photographers in the crowd had to rely on other techniques to get their shots.

Jo Mathis, left, takes a “Hail Mary” shot. The former Ann Arbor News columnist is now editor of the Washtenaw Legal News.

University of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson poses for a photo with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. The crowd’s cheer for Robinson, who arrived several minutes before the president, nearly rivaled its enthusiasm for Obama. Robinson fielded dozens of autograph and photo requests, including one from a member of the event’s security detail.

Ann Arbor city councilmember Stephen Kunselman, who’s employed by UM as an energy management liaison.

Among the spectators in this crowd shot are Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent Patricia Green and AAPS trustee Andy Thomas, and Ann Arbor city councilmembers Christopher Taylor, Tony Derezinski and Carsten Hohnke.

From left: University of Michigan regents Kathy White and Denise Ilitch, chair of the board of regents.

From left: Eastern Michigan University president Susan Martin and Rose Bellanca, president of Washtenaw Community College.

Barack Obama during his speech. Trust us: Among the people in the background risers are Ann Arbor city councilmember Sabra Briere and her husband, local attorney David Cahill; Democratic activist Doug Kelley; Ann Arbor Art Center president Marsha Chamberlin and her husband John Chamberlin, a UM professor of public policy.

UM president Mary Sue Coleman, at right, listened to Obama’s speech on a platform behind the speaker’s podium. She did not address the crowd.

After his speech, Barack Obama worked the crowd. He offers a high five to Mark Bernstein’s kid – Bernstein is a candidate for UM regent.

Ann Arbor city councilmember Sandi Smith, center, gets ready to greet the president. Behind her, slightly to the right, is Ann Arbor Public Schools trustee Glenn Nelson.

Following Obama’s speech, anti-fracking protesters were keeping a cold vigil in the parking lot outside of the Al Glick Fieldhouse. To the right, a man holds an “I Vote Pro-Life First” sign. Volunteers were also passing out Obama re-election campaign literature and collecting signatures for repeal of the state’s emergency financial manager law.

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Word cloud analysis of the Obama UM commencement address. Image links to higher resolution file. Analysis done at http://www.wordle.net/

The Chronicle has transcribed the speech as delivered and provided some annotation, in part by providing section and sub-section headings that reflect the organizational structure of the president’s remarks.

The main themes were the role of government in our lives and the keys to preservation of democracy. One of those keys to the preservation of democracy, Obama told the graduates, is to “contribute part of your life to the life of this country.”

Introduction

[applause ~30 seconds] Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you, everybody, please be seated. I love you back! [responding to "I love you" from audience] It is great to be here in the Big House. [applause ~5 s.] And so may I say, Go Blue! [applause ~10 s.] I thought I would go for the cheap applause line to start things off.

[Note: Based on the text that the White House released of the speech to be delivered, the line was not impromptu, but could have been perceived as an ad lib, riffing on the fact that many of the speakers who preceded Obama at the podium went for the "Go Blue" applause line at the end of their speeches, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, UM president Mary Sue Coleman, and student speaker Alex Marston.]

Good afternoon, President Coleman, the Board of Trustees, the faculty, parents, family and friends of the class of 2010. [applause] Congratulations on your graduation and thank you for allowing me the honor of being a part of it. [applause] Let me acknowledge your wonderful governor, Jennifer Granholm, your mayor John Hieftje [Obama misses pronunciation with a novel variation to The Chronicle, saying /Heef-jay/] and all the members of Congress who are here today. It is a privilege to be with you on this happy occasion.

America’s Voices

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America’s Voices: How Obama Keeps in Touch

And you know, it’s nice to spend a little time outside of Washington. [applause] Now, don’t get me wrong, Washington is a beautiful city. [audience laughter] It’s very nice living above the store – you can’t beat the commute. [audience laughter ~5 s.] It’s just sometimes, all you hear in Washington is the clamor of politics. And all that noise can drown out the voices of the people who sent you there. So when I took office, I decided that each night I would read 10 letters, out of the tens of thousands that are sent to us by ordinary Americans every day. This is my modest effort to remind myself of why I ran in the first place.

America’s Voices: Kindergartners

Some of these letters tell stories of heartache and struggle. Some express gratitude, some express anger. I’d say a good solid third call me an idiot, [audience laughter] which is how I know that I’m getting a good representative sample. [audience laughter, Obama also laughs, generating cheers] Some of the letters make you think, like the one I received last month from a kindergarten class in Virginia. Now, the teacher of this class instructed the students to ask me any question they wanted. So one asked, How do you do your job? [audience laughter] Another asked, Do you work a lot? [audience laughter] Somebody wanted to know if I wear a black jacket or if I have a beard. [audience laughter] So clearly they were getting me mixed up with the other tall guy from Illinois. [audience laughter, followed by collective "aww" in response to a shot of a little kid on the stadium scoreboard screen] And one of my favorites was from a kid who wanted to know if I lived next to a volcano. [audience laughter] I’m still trying to piece the thought process on this. [Obama laughs] I love this letter.

[Note: Obama's reference to "the other tall guy from Illinois" is a reference to Abraham Lincoln.]

America’s Voices: Niceness

But it was the last question from the last student in the letter that gave me pause. The student asked, Are people being nice? Are people being nice? Well, if you turn on the news today, or yesterday, or a week ago, or a month ago, particularly one of the cable channels, [audience laughter] you can see, [audience laughter] you can see why even a kindergartner would ask this question. [audience laughter] We’ve got politicians calling each other all sorts of unflattering names. Pundits and talking heads shout at each other. The media tends to play up every hint of conflict, because it makes for a sexier story, which means anyone interested in getting coverage feels compelled to make their arguments as outrageous and as incendiary as possible.

Contentious Discourse

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Contentious Discourse: Origins in Current Crisis

Now, some of this contentiousness can be attributed to the incredibly difficult moment in which we find ourselves as a nation. Fact is, when you leave here today, you will search for work in an economy that is still emerging from the worst crisis since The Great Depression. You live in a century where the speed with which jobs and industries move across the globe is forcing America to compete like never before. You will raise your children at a time when threats like terrorism and climate change aren’t confined within the borders of any one country. As our world grows smaller and more connected, you will live and work with more people who don’t look like you, or think like you, or come from where you do.

Contentious Discourse: Historical Context

I really enjoyed Alex’s remarks, because that’s a lot of change. [The allusion was to the student speaker at the commencement, Alex Marston, whose message focused on change, and the difficulties inherent in accepting change.] And all these changes and all these challenges, inevitably cause tension in the body politic. They make people worry about the future. And sometimes they get people riled up. But I think it’s important that we maintain some historic perspective. Since the days of our founding, American politics has never been a particularly nice business. It’s always been a little less genteel during times of great change. A newspaper of the opposing party once editorialized that if Thomas Jefferson were elected, murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced. [audience laughter] Not subtle. [audience laughter] Opponents of Andrew Jackson often referred to his mother as a common prostitute, which seems a little over the top. [audience laughter, also from Obama] Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson have been accused of promoting socialism or worse. We’ve had arguments between politicians that have been settled with actual duels. There was even a caning once on the floor of the United States Senate, which I’m happy to say didn’t happen while I was there. [audience laughter] It was a few years before. [audience laughter, also from Obama]

[Note: The reference to "actual duels" is to the pistol duel in 1804 between Alexander Hamilton, the former U.S. secretary of the treasury, and Aaron Burr, who was vice president at the time. Hamilton died of the wound he received at the duel. The reference to the Senate caning is to a physical attack by Congressman Preston Brooks on Senator Charles Sumner in 1856, in response to a speech that Sumner had delivered against the Fugitive Slave Act. The speech had insulted one of the authors of the act, Andrew Butler, who was a relative of Brooks.]

Contentious Discourse: The Nature of American Politics

The point is, politics has never been for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart. If you enter the arena you should expect to get roughed up. Moreover, democracy and a nation of more than 300 million people is inherently difficult. It’s always been noisy, and messy, contentious, complicated. We’ve been fighting about the proper size and role of government since the days the framers gathered in Philadelphia. We’ve battled over the meaning of individual freedom and equality since the Bill of Rights was drafted. As our economy has shifted emphasis from agriculture, to industry, to information, to technology, we have argued and struggled at each and every juncture over the best way to ensure that all of our citizens have a shot at opportunity.

So before we get too depressed about the current state of our politics, let’s remember our history. The great debates of the past all stirred great passion. They all made somebody angry. And at least once led to a terrible war. What is amazing is that despite all the conflict, despite all its flaws and its frustrations, our experiment in democracy has worked better than any form of government on earth. [applause ~15 seconds] On the last day of the Constitutional convention, Benjamin Franklin was famously asked: Well, doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy? And Franklin gave an answer that has been quoted for ages. He said: A republic, if you can keep it.

If you can keep it.

How to Preserve Democracy

Well, for more than 200 years we have kept it. Through revolution and civil war, our democracy has survived. Through depression and world war it has prevailed. Through periods of great social and economic unrest, from civil rights to women’s rights. It has allowed us slowly, sometimes painfully, to move towards a more perfect union.

And so now, class of 2010, the question for your generation is this: How will you keep our democracy going? At a moment when our challenges seem so big and our politics seem so small, how will you keep our democracy alive and vibrant? How will you keep it well in this century? I’m not here to offer some grand theory, or detailed policy prescription. But let me offer of few brief reflections, based on my own experiences, and the experiences of our country over the last two centuries.

Preserving Democracy: Adapt Role of Government to Changing World

First of all, American democracy has thrived, because we have recognized the need for a government that while limited, can still help us adapt to a changing world. On the fourth panel of the Jefferson Memorial is a quote I remember reading to my daughters, during our first visit there. It says, “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.” A democracy designed by Jefferson and the other founders was never intended to solve every problem with a new law or a new program. Having thrown off the tyranny of the British Empire, the first Americans were understandably skeptical of government. Ever since, we have held fast to the belief that government doesn’t have all the answers. We have cherished and fiercely defended our individual freedom. That’s a strand of our nation’s DNA.

But the other strand is the belief that there are some things that we can only do together, as one nation. And that our government must keep pace with the times. When America expanded from a few colonies to an entire continent and we needed a way to reach the Pacific, our government helped build the railroads. When we transitioned from an economy based on farms to one based on factories, and workers needed new skills and training, our nation set up a system of public high schools. When the markets crashed during The Depression, and people lost their life savings, our government put in place a set of rules and safeguards to make sure that such a crisis never happened again, and then put a safety net in place to make sure that our elders would never be as impoverished the way they had been. And because our markets and financial systems have evolved since then, we’re now putting in place new rules to safeguard and protect the American people.

Now this notion [applause ~ 10 s.], this notion, class, hasn’t always been partisan. It was the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who said the role of government is to do for the people what they cannot do better for themselves. And he would go on to begin that first intercontinental railroad and set up the first land-grant colleges. It was another Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, who said the object of the government is a welfare of the people. And he is remembered for using the power of government to break up monopolies, establish our national park system. [applause ~5 s.] Democrat Lyndon Johnson announced the Great Society during a commencement here at Michigan, but it was the Republican president before him, Dwight Eisenhower, who launched a massive government undertaking known as the interstate highway system.

Of course, there have always been those who oppose such efforts. They argue that government intervention is usually inefficient, it restricts individual freedom and dampens individual initiative. And in certain instances that’s been true. And for many years we had a welfare system that too often discouraged people from taking responsibility for their own upward mobility. At times we’ve neglected the role of parents, rather than government, in cultivating a child’s education. And sometimes regulations fail, sometimes the benefits don’t justify their costs.

But what troubles me is when I hear people saying, all of government is inherently bad. And one of my favorite signs during the health care debate was somebody who said, “Keep your government hands out of my Medicare,” [audience laughter ~5 s.] which is essentially saying “Keep government out of my government-run health care plan.” Now, when our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening, foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us. We, the people, hold our [applause ~ 5 s.] we the people hold in our hands the power to choose our leaders, and change our laws, and shape our own destiny.

Government’s the police officers, who are protecting our communities, and the service men and women who are defending us abroad. [applause ~5 s.] Government is the roads you drove in on and the speed limits that kept you safe. Government is what ensures the mines adhere to safety standards, or that oil spills are cleaned up by the companies that caused them. Government is this extraordinary public university, [applause extending through "big and small"] a place that’s doing life-saving research, and catalyzing economic growth, and graduating students who will change the world around them in ways big and small. And the truth is, the debate we’ve had for decades now, between more government and less government, it doesn’t really fit the times in which we live.

[Note: The reference to mine safety alludes to the April 5 explosion that killed 29 people at the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W.Va., a mine owned by Massey Energy. The U.S. Justice Department is currently investigating that incident. The mention of oil spills refers to the ruptured oil well off the Louisiana coast, creating a massive spill that's projected to be a worse ecological disaster than the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The well is owned by the oil company BP. Obama was expected to visit the region on Sunday.]

We know that too much government can stifle competition and deprive us of choice and burden us with debt. But we’ve also clearly seen the dangers of too little government. Like when a lack of accountability on Wall Street nearly leads to the collapse of our entire economy. [applause ~5 s.] So, class of 2010, what we should be asking is not whether we need a big government or a small government, but how we can create a smarter and better government. Because in an era of iPods and TiVo, where we have more choices than ever before, even though I can’t really work a lot of these things, [audience laughter] but I have 23-year-olds who do it for me, [audience laughter] government shouldn’t try to dictate our lives, but it should give you the tools you need to succeed.

Government shouldn’t try to guarantee results, but it should guarantee a shot, an opportunity for every American who is willing to work hard. [applause ~10 s.] So, yes, we can and should debate the role of government in our lives. But remember, as you are asked to meet the challenges of our time, remember that the ability of us to adapt our government to the needs of the age has helped make our democracy work since its inception.

Preserving Democracy: Maintain Civility

Now the second way to keep our democracy healthy is to maintain a basic level of civility in our public debate. These arguments we’re having, over government and healthcare and war and taxes, these are serious arguments. They should arouse people’s passions. And it’s important for everybody to join in the debate with all the vigor that the maintenance of a free people requires. But we can’t expect to solve our problems, if all we do is tear each other down. [applause smattering extending to "right-wing nut"] You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it. You can question somebody’s views and their judgment, without questioning their motives or their patriotism. Throwing around phrases like “socialists,” “Soviet-style takeover” and “fascists,” and “right-wing nut” [audience laughter] – that may grab headlines, but also has the effect of comparing our government, our political opponents, to authoritarian, even murderous regimes. Now, we’ve seen this kind of politics in the past, it’s been practiced by both fringes of the ideological spectrum, by the left and the right, since our nation’s birth. But it’s starting to creep into the center of our discourse.

The problem with it is not the hurt feelings or the bruised egos of the public officials who are criticized. Remember, they’ve signed up for it. Michelle always reminds me of that. [audience laughter] The problem is that this kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric closes the door to the possibility of compromise. It undermines democratic deliberation, it prevents learning. Since, after all, why should we listen to a fascist or a socialist or a right-wing nut? [audience laughter smattering] Or a left-wing nut? It makes it nearly impossible for people who have legitimate but bridgeable differences, to sit down at the same table and hash things out. It robs us of a rational and serious debate, the one we need to have about the very real and very big challenges facing this nation. It coarsens our culture. And at its worst, it can send signals to the extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response.

So what can we do? As I found out after a year in the White House, changing this type of politics is not easy. And part of what civility requires is that we recall the simple lesson most of us learned from our parents: Treat others as you would like to be treated. With courtesy and respect. [applause ~10 s.] But stability in this age also requires something more than just asking if we can’t just all get along. Today’s 24/7 echo chamber amplifies the most inflammatory soundbites louder and faster than ever before.

It’s also, however, given us unprecedented choice. Whereas most Americans used to get their news from the same three networks over dinner or a few influential papers on Sunday morning, we now have the option to get our information from any number of blogs or websites or cable news shows. And this can have both a good and bad development for democracy. For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we become more polarized, more set in our ways. That will only reinforce and deepen the political divides in this country.

But if we choose to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and our beliefs, perhaps we can begin to understand where the people who disagree with us are coming from. Now this requires us to agree on a certain set of facts to debate from. That’s why we need a vibrant and thriving news business that is separate from opinion makers and the talking heads. [applause ~5 s.] That’s why we need an educated citizenry that values hard evidence and not just assertion. [applause ~5 s.] As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously once said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts.” [audience laughter]

Still, if you’re somebody who only reads the editorial page of the New York Times, try glancing at the page of the Wall Street Journal, once in a while. If you are a fan of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, try reading a few columns on the Huffington Post website. It may make your blood boil, your mind might not be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship. [applause] It is essential for democracy. [applause ~5 s.]

So, too, is the practice of engaging in different experiences with different kinds of people. I look out at this class and I realize for four years at Michigan you have been exposed to diverse thinkers and scholars, professors and students. Don’t narrow that broad intellectual exposure just because you’re leaving here. Instead, seek to expand it.

If you grew up in a big city, spend some time with somebody who grew up in a rural town. If you find yourself only hanging around with people of your own race or ethnicity or religion, include people in your circle who have different backgrounds, life experiences. You’ll learn what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes. And in the process you will help to make this democracy work. [applause ~10 s.]

Preserving Democracy: Participate In It

Which brings me to the last ingredient of a functioning democracy, one that’s perhaps most basic. And it’s already been mentioned, and that is participation. Class of 2010, I understand that one effect of today’s poisonous political climate is to push people away from participation in public life. If all you see when you turn on the TV is name-calling, if all you hear about is how special interests lobbying in partisanship prevented Washington from getting something done, then you might think to yourself, what’s the point of getting involved?

Here’s the point: When we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day, when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that’s when democracy breaks down. That’s when power is abused. That’s when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave. That’s what powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of power, because none of us are there to speak up and stop them. Participation in public life doesn’t mean that you all have to run for public office, though we could certainly use some fresh faces in Washington. [audience laughter] But it does mean that you should pay attention and contribute in any way that you can.

Stay informed. Write letters or make phone calls on behalf of an issue that you care about. If electoral politics isn’t your thing, continue the tradition that so many of you started here at Michigan, and find a way to serve your community and your country, an act that will help you stay connected to your fellow citizens and improve the lives of those around you.

You know, it was 50 years ago that a young candidate for president came here to Michigan and delivered a speech that inspired one of the most successful service projects in American history. And as John F. Kennedy described the ideals behind what would become the Peace Corps, he issued a challenge to the students who had assembled in Ann Arbor on that October night. On your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, he said, will depend the answer whether a free society can compete. I think it can, he said.

This democracy we have is a precious thing. For all the arguments and all the doubts and all the cynicism that’s out there today, we should never forget that as Americans, we enjoy more freedoms and opportunities than citizens in any other nation on earth. [applause extending through "down"] We are free to speak our mind and worship as we please, we are free to choose our leaders, and criticize them if they let us down. We have a chance to get an education and work hard and give our children a better life.

None of this came easy. None of this was preordained. The men and women who sat in your chairs 10 years ago, and 50 years ago and 100 years ago, they made America possible through their toil and their endurance, their imagination and their faith. Their success and America’s success was never a given. There is no guarantee that the graduates who will sit in the same seats 10 years from now, or 50 years from now, or 100 years from now, will enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that you do. You, too, will have to strive. You, too, will have to push the boundaries of what seems possible. For the truth is, our nation’s destiny has never been certain.

What is certain, what has always been certain, is the ability to shape the destiny. That is what makes us different. That is what sets us apart. That is what makes us Americans. Our ability at the end of the day to look past all our differences and all of our disagreements, and still forge a common future.

Conclusion: Calling Graduates to Action

And that task is now in your hands. As is the answer to the question posed at this university a half a century ago, about whether a free society can still compete. If you are willing, as past generations were willing, to contribute part of your life to the life of this country, then I, like President Kennedy, believe we can. Because I believe in you. Congratulations on your graduation 2010. May God bless you. May God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Word cloud analysis of Alex Marston's commencement address. Image links to higher resolution file. Analysis done at http://www.wordle.net/

Speaking to his fellow graduates at the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony on May 1, 2010, senior Alex Marston’s brief remarks gave a quick tour through some touchstones of student culture.

That tour ranged from food, to football, to academics. Marston’s focus was change – an idea that his fellow commencement speaker, President Barack Obama, had made the centerpiece of his successful 2008 campaign.

The Chronicle transcribed and annotated the address as delivered.

Thank you, Dean McDonald. President Obama, distinguished guests, faculty, friends, family, and fellow graduates. [audience cheers]

[Note: Marston was introduced by Terry McDonald, dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan. ]

Today, we graduates are forced to change, to move forward in a new direction. But change is a funny thing. We desire change, but we fear it. We say things like, “I just want to make a difference in the world.” Yet we grow uneasy when the world around us changes. We invent new technologies and then we worry that they will ruin our values and our traditions. We want instant gratification, without hard work or sacrifice. President Obama was elected on his promise of “change we can believe in.” But after he took office he found many resistances to change. [audience laughter and applause]

[Note: The laughter can be attributed to the difficult first 16 months Obama has experienced in office.]

As a nation, we have found that changes can bring us together, but they can also tear us apart. We can see our ambivalence in that change here on campus as well. After the horror of a certain football game played here a few years ago, many were thrilled when Michigan hired a coach who would bring a new energy and style of football to our school. But after two seasons, change has been slow [audience laughter] and full of growing pains. [more audience laughter] Today, we must re-examine our views toward change. [audience laughter] We must embrace change and realize that with every change comes new opportunity.

[Note: Reference to the "horror of a certain football game" is to the Sept. 1, 2007 defeat of UM by Appalachian State by a score of 34-32.]

While most of us will no longer be able to spend our Fridays at Charley’s [audience cheers] and our Sundays at the UGLi, we will create new traditions and find new goals to achieve. With what we have attained at the University of Michigan, we will become the teachers, doctors, lawyers, and engineers who will shape the future of our country. Of course, there are some changes that cannot be spun in a positive light. After all, there is no deli in the world that can match the pastrami at Zingerman’s. And no burger whose grease is quite as delectable as the grease of a Blimpy burger.

[Note: Of the references, three are eateries, while the fourth is campus vernacular for the undergraduate library: Good Time Charley's, Zingerman's Deli, Blimpy Burger, UGLi]

But still we must embrace change and follow the lead of Michigan graduates who have changed the world. Arthur Miller, who in 1949 redefined American theater with his play, “Death of a Salesman.” Margaret Brewer, who in 1978 became the first woman to achieve the rank of general in the United States Marine Corps. And Gerald Ford, who after being named the most valuable player on the 1934 Michigan football team, went on to become the leader of the free world. So as we graduate today, I encourage us to embrace change and realize that we can make a difference. We can join the ranks of over 400,000 living Michigan alumni. And when we’ve reached our goals, we can look back on our time together at Michigan and be grateful to the university that has provided us with the tools and the will to make the world a better place.

Go Blue!

UM president Mary Sue Coleman, center, talks with some of her staff before her speech. The small, round disk protruding from the speaker's right side of the podium is a cupholder. (Photo by the writer.)

On Monday afternoon, the University of Michigan’s president, Mary Sue Coleman, gave a state-of-the-university speech, summarizing some of the institution’s recent accomplishments, challenges and new initiatives.

Highlights of her remarks are below, and the full text of the speech is posted online. The same text was handed out to the media immediately prior to her presentation. It is not, however, exactly the speech she delivered. More on that later.

The speech was widely covered: The Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Michigan Daily, Crain’s Detroit Business and AnnArbor.com all filed stories. Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, also attended the event – a crew from the PBS show is in town shooting footage and doing interviews for an upcoming segment.

Despite the press coverage, the event did not draw a large crowd to the new Blau Auditorium at the Ross School of Business – the venue seats about 500 people, and it was less than half full. For those who couldn’t make it, here’s a look at what you missed.

The Speech: Some Highlights

Though acknowledging some of the serious financial challenges posed by Michigan’s economy, Coleman was upbeat in her assessment of the university’s current condition, and its future.

Research initiatives

The university logged a record 350 inventions during its last fiscal year, Coleman said, in areas ranging from medicine to engineering. She also noted that the university hit the $1 billion mark in federal research spending for the year, and is on track to reach $2 billion in research spending by 2017 – the university’s 200th anniversary. This goal had been mentioned during the Sept. 17 UM Board of Regents meeting as well. From The Chronicle’s coverage:

In his report to regents, Stephen Forrest, UM’s vice president for research, noted that the university had crossed a major threshold by logging a record $1.016 billion in federal research funding during fiscal 2009, which ended June 30. That’s up 9.4% from the previous year, he said, and includes only a very small amount – about $130,000 – of federal stimulus funding. Stimulus dollars will show up in the report for the current fiscal year, he said. So far, university researchers have been awarded $103.2 million in stimulus grants.

He joked that it took the university 192 years to reach the $1 billion mark, but he has set the goal of reaching $2 billion in eight years. “We’re well on our way,” he said.

Faculty hiring

The university is recruiting faculty, and has a $30 million initiative to hire 100 young professors by 2012, Coleman said. So far, they’ve funded 49 positions, with the first of these new hires starting this semester. “The hiring process is somewhat more time-consuming than with a single scholar,” she said, “because we are building teams and the faculty on those teams must complement each other.”

North Campus Research Complex (NCRC)

Coleman called the former Pfizer site, which UM bought earlier this year, a “once-in-a-century opportunity to redefine academic research in critical areas.” The university is recruiting a full-time director for the complex, she said. During the Q&A portion of her presentation, Coleman also said they were launching an effort to improve transportation links between NCRC, north campus and central campus. They plan to host a transportation technology forum next semester, and include representatives from Ann Arbor and the state.

Sustainability

Concerns over climate change have “captivated” students, Coleman said. “Students want to know what we are doing to protect the environment, whether through teaching and research or in our operations as a large consumer of water, energy, food and paper. Frankly, our students exhibit a passion and an urgency that I have not seen since the space race.” [Several students spoke on the issue during the March 19, 2009 board of regents meeting.]

Coleman said the university is elevating its emphasis on sustainability. She has named Don Scavia, current director of UM’s Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, to be her special counsel on environmental sustainability.

“We are going to examine the academic enterprise at all levels, to offer new courses and expand existing ones,” Coleman said. “As one example, we will be doubling the enrollment of a course on sustainability and the campus. Here, students apply ecological, social and economic theory to hands-on practice, with our own campus as their living laboratory.”

The university is also establishing an Office of Campus Sustainability, to measure and improve how the university uses energy, recycles materials and builds facilities.

Economic development

Coleman said the university plays a role in supporting new and existing businesses. She noted that UM faculty have launched 83 start-up companies since 2001, including eight start-ups last year, during a tough economy. Members of the University Research Corridor – UM, Michigan State and Wayne State – have a combined economic impact of $14.5 billion, she said. They’ve just hired the first URC executive director – Jeff Mason, a former Michigan Economic Development Corp. executive – and have opened an office in Lansing.

Financial challenges: UM’s $7.5 billion endowment is down more than 20%. “No organization can absorb a 20% loss in investments and not feel it,” Coleman said, “but we are slowly recovering, because of an investment strategy that is conservative, highly diversified, and squarely focused on long-term performance.”

UM’s Michigan Difference fundraising campaign, which ended last year, raised $3.2 billion. But private donations dropped 22% during the last fiscal year, Coleman said. State funding has also declined by about $42 million, or 10%, over the past seven years.

Coleman outlined how the university has responded: “We have reduced spending by $135 million in the past seven years. We are doing everything, from reducing how many flowers we plant and re-negotiating contracts with suppliers, to streamlining information technology practices and asking employees to pay a greater share of their health benefits. By being more efficient, we have reduced natural gas consumption – and spending – for the first time ever, at the same time our space and levels of activity are growing.”

The Great Depression

Coleman concluded her speech by saying there are lessons to learn from the Great Depression of the 1930s. During that time of economic hardship, the university created new scholarships and loan programs, and built “iconic” structures like the Law Quad and Rackham. Today, they “should look at how faculty, students and staff of that era met those dark days,” Coleman said, “and draw on their dedication and resolve.”

Audience Questions

Five people asked questions before the moderator, UM business school dean Bob Dolan, called the event to a close. Here’s a summary of the questions, and Coleman’s response:

Q: You talked about sacrifices that faculty and staff have made to cut expenses, but that the university needs to redouble its efforts. Does that mean more cuts are in store?

State funding is uncertain, Coleman said, and several task forces have been formed to look at ways to cut expenses as well as to increase revenue. Here’s the relevant section from her speech:

Work already is underway by task forces of faculty and staff exploring more ways to reduce spending and increase revenue. We are looking at offering more classes in the spring and summer semesters, which makes greater use of classrooms and buildings, generates tuition income and, most important, helps students complete their education in a timely fashion.

We will explore shared staffing and more centralized services. We’ll examine the concept of offering non-traditional programs and classes. We will explore best practices for academic centers and institutes.

She also noted that they are being strategic in their decisions. They haven’t stopped hiring – in her speech, she had highlighted the fact that UM has a $30 million initiative to hire 100 young professors by 2012. Coleman also said that the only facilities projects they’ve halted were two parking structures, and that was because they’d acquired more parking with the Pfizer acquisition.

However, she concluded her answer by saying, “Everything is a moving target.”

Q: The sustainability effort sounds interesting – how can students get involved?

The goal is for students to work on real campus projects, Coleman said. The university faces a daunting challenge, she said – they’re growing, yet trying to curb their energy use and impact on the environment. The sustainability initiative is a way to create standards and practices, and actually measure their results. Students can be a part of that, she said.

Q: How is the university positioned in areas like stem cell research?

The university has benefited from last year’s ballot initiative which loosened the state’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, Coleman said. UM has started a lab that’s now producing cell lines that will be shared with other researchers nationwide. She said she expects to see this type of work flourish.

Q (asked by Ann Arbor community activist Alan Haber): You spoke about the role that the university is playing in addressing climate change. What is the university doing to address the issue of war and peace?

It’s very troubling to see the many intransigent problems in the world – and sometimes it doesn’t even seem possible to have a reasonable dialogue, Coleman said. Saying that she was speaking personally, not representing the university, Coleman said she was encouraged by President Obama’s efforts at promoting dialogue. She’s also encouraged by the work that UM’s faculty and students are engaged in, addressing global issues like poverty and health care. One of the best things the university can do for students is to teach them to think critically, engage in civic life, and challenge those in authority, Coleman said.

Q: Can you talk about your commitment to the Michigan Healthy Community Initiative?

This effort started about five years ago, Coleman said, as a way to deal with the escalation of health care costs. It’s another example of using the university as a test case – trying different approaches, then measuring outcomes. She cited the example of eliminating co-pays for certain medications for chronic diseases, such as diabetes. The overall initiative is one of the things she’s most proud of, Coleman said.

Text of Mary Sue Coleman's speech, used for the teleprompter. (Photo by the writer.)

What Else Happened: A Few Vignettes

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Teleprompter glitch

During the Q&A, Coleman noted that the speech she delivered differed slightly from the one that had been distributed to the media (and which was subsequently posted online). An older version had been mistakenly used for the teleprompter, she said. It reminded her of the time when something similar happened to Bill Clinton: “But he’s a lot brighter than I am because he did it extemporaneously.”

Coleman brought this up because the speech she gave didn’t include a section about efforts to improve transportation between the north and central campuses. As the north campus becomes more densely populated because of UM’s recent acquisition of the former Pfizer site, they’ll need to figure out a better way to move people between the different locations, she said. To that end, the university is planning a transportation technology forum next semester, Coleman said.

American Sign Language

Coleman’s speech was translated into American Sign Language by Jill Rice, UM coordinator of services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Rice is also responsible for finding signers to interpret during events like this, and interprets at some of the events herself. She told The Chronicle that she assigned herself to Coleman’s speech because she wanted to be part of it. She got a copy of the text in advance, to help her prepare.

Jill Rice, coordinator of services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, translated UM president Mary Sue Coleman's speech into American Sign Language. (Photo by the writer.)

When asked whether words like “explosion” and “bombardment” were written into the speech especially for their rather dramatic ASL flare, Rice said that they weren’t, although she acknowledged that they were fun words to sign. [For those readers who are interested in context, the words were used in these sentences: "Think about the explosion of digital information and information sharing in recent years." and "Our job as educators is to give students the skills to interpret this bombardment of information, analyze its meaning and credibility, and understand how it affects individuals and communities."]

Media instructions, sort of

Prior to the speech, there was a bit of negotiation between the university’s public relations staff and photographers representing various media outlets. The PR folks wanted the shooters – specifically, anyone using “clicky cameras,” as one staff member put it – to stand at the back of the auditorium, so as not to be a distraction during Coleman’s speech. The photographers said that they couldn’t get decent shots from that vantage point. The Chronicle didn’t hear the end of those negotiations, but did witness the outcome: Several photographers took shots from the front and sides of the auditorium, with no apparent restrictions on their movements.

Pre-speech prep

Coleman arrived about 30 minutes prior to the start of her speech, when the auditorium was virtually empty. She talked with some of her staff about how the two teleprompters would work, and was outfitted with a lavaliere microphone.

President Barack Obama at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by the writer.)

Everyone I spoke to had a variation of the same story. A call. An email. Sometime within 24 hours of the event, offering a ticket or two to hear President Barack Obama speak at Macomb Community College on July 14.

For me, it was a call Monday afternoon from one of Rep. Dingell’s staff. Mr. Dingell had five tickets – they were offering me one. Did I want it?

Yes – if it was OK with my boss!

For the couple in line in front of me, it was a call Monday night from a lobbyist they knew who had two tickets.

For the student seated next to me, it was an email from Macomb Community College Monday, offering the tickets first-come, first-serve.

The UAW workers were called Tuesday morning. The honor student received a call from the college president Monday night. The 15-year-old photography student brought her father because she only has a learner’s permit and a really amazing camera.

We all dropped our agendas, found a baby sitter, changed our plans, canceled a meeting or two, and made our way to hear the president.

It  wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I only got lost twice on the drive there, and found where to join the line without any problem. I wasn’t really late. I even saw someone from Ann Arbor – one of the developers of a proposed project. At least we had something to talk about while we waited in line.

Security was easier than I anticipated, too. I didn’t have to take off my shoes, and except for having to turn on my phone and camera, there were no other major demands.

Although no one could bring in bottled water, plastic glasses of water were available. (I drank two, right away. Standing in line for 40 minutes will do that.) There were seats for nearly everyone, but of course, I wasn’t first in line.

Who Were We?

Everyone was happy to be there, in the sun, waiting for two hours.

Crowd at Obama speech at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by the writer.)

We talked while we waited. The woman next to me revealed that she was a student at Macomb because she wants a better job. She and her husband were both clearly in their 50s, and in other economies would be talking about retiring. Seeking more training and a new job at this point would be difficult.

I asked about her current job, and learned that she works in human resources for an auto supply company. She didn’t need to tell me much for me to understand that her company isn’t doing well, isn’t hiring many people, and human resources is spending more and more time dealing with letting people go and helping them retrain for other jobs.

With a little prompting from her husband, she told me about wanting to be a patient advocate, and then went on to tell me how frustrating it can be to work with medical professionals who are too busy to really understand the needs of patients. She wants to make certain patients and their families are well represented in all aspects of medical care.

Her mother, she told me, has early stage Alzheimer’s. When she had a mastectomy, the hospital explained the needed aftercare to her – but ignored the fact that Alzheimer’s patients lose their short-term memory first. So her mother was sent home with no idea about how to care for herself. No one explained the care to her daughter – because that wasn’t part of hospital’s thought process.

This type of lack of communication with families and lack of understanding of the entire patient had encouraged her to look at becoming a patient advocate.

Others I spoke with had such diverse reasons for going to community college. They’d lost their job and needed retraining in another field. They were taking classes so they could get into another school. I was in Warren, but I could have been talking with students at Washtenaw Community College.

Of course, just like me, there were the usual political folks. I saw the mayor of this and the village president of that. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Governor Jennifer Granholm, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry and others were there. People representing unions and companies were chatting with each other. Just listening to everyone was educational.

Technology Changes Us

When President Obama’s plane landed, people were following the news on their phones. They knew which route he was taking, and spoke about how he’d be traveling over streets imperfectly fixed by the stimulus dollars, and how they hoped he’d do something about that. (The local government received the funds to start the project, but didn’t have the money to complete it, so they took off the surface of the street and then stopped work!)

As his motorcade arrived, a rush of folks moved to a gap in the fence to take photos. And of course, during the 30 minutes he spoke, everyone was attentive and so supportive.

Nearly everyone had a cell phone, a camera, maybe a recorder. There were camcorders of many sizes. Some people even took notes on paper!

I don’t see much reason to report on President Obama’s speech. After all, the media has already reduced it to sound bites. I did hear some good messages, however.

“When you lose your job, even when entire communities are losing jobs, that’s a heavy burden.”

“I welcome the responsibility.” (in reference to the economy)

“Michigan, you know bad weather – you can be on top of the need to weatherize.” (discussing alternative fuel and alternative energy)

As I left, my route took me past where the motorcade was waiting. A row of campus security waited on horseback, while a crowd stood at the barricades shouting “OBAMA! OBAMA!”

As the president left, he waved – and I missed the shot, capturing instead someone’s hand in front of the camera. I got a fine shot of his back, surrounded by security.

And a slight sunburn.

Well worth it.

About the author: Sabra Briere is one of two representatives for Ward 1 on Ann Arbor’s city council .