University of Chicago students offered one another messages of support and celebration, despite their distance, as they gathered Friday for an online ceremony honoring graduates of the undergraduate College.
One of three student speakers during the annual Class Day ceremony, Emily Stevens expressed deep admiration for her fellow graduates, especially given the challenges the Class of 2020 has collectively faced.
“The world has become unanchored in a new way, but we know how to row in the doldrums and cut the sails in a storm. We couldn’t have gotten here if we didn’t,” said the English language and literature major. “This class is an incredible group of people. I am honored and humbled to be among you.”
Class Day kicked off a weekend of Convocation-related activities across the University and its divisions and schools. The University-wide ceremony will be webcast Saturday at 9:15 a.m. CDT.
Fellow fourth-year students Greer Baxter and Annie Geng joined Stevens in reflecting on their UChicago education, and how to apply what they’ve learned to what comes next.
“The University of Chicago gave us the lessons and the tools to take this next big leap,” said Baxter, a creative writing major. “Here we were given the freedom and the confidence to bring our own meaning to life, with a sense of conviction that will set us apart. Whether we know it or not, we are ready.”
Geng, a philosophy major, argued that becoming a young adult “means unlearning the ways you’ve understood the world while growing up; growing into, with trial and error, your own values.”
“Remember that wherever you’ll be, the world is yours now, and it’s ready for you to make it what you want it to be,” she said. “The world needs you, and it’s your turn to change it.”
John W. Boyer, dean of the College, commended students for navigating many challenges this quarter, saying that future generations will be inspired by “the heroic efforts that have brought us to this place.”
“You came to Chicago with immense hopes and ardent zeal, and you have worked mightily to be worthy of this great University and the special honor that attaches to anyone who passes through it,” he said. “We cannot know the particulars of what lies ahead in each of your lives. But we do know that you are strong and perceptive, that you have the energy and grace to begin to master the world, and that you will succeed and flourish and make significant contributions to all of your communities.”
Distinguished cancer researcher Otis W. Brawley, SB’81, MD’85, delivered the keynote address at Class Day. The former chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, Brawley spoke of how UChicago’s culture of inquiry offered him a rigorous understanding of both the scientific and social aspects of medicine.
“Today in medicine we have to deal with America’s politics of fear and anger,” said Brawley, whose research addresses disparities in preventative care. “Politics of fear and anger promote tolerance of injustice, tolerance of inequality and tolerance of oppression. We in medicine work to change the narrative.”
As a parting challenge to the Class of 2020, Brawley encouraged graduates to use the methods of inquiry they learned at UChicago to support others.
“As you go forth, mentor others,” he said. “It’s your payback. Be a positive influence to others. Remember that the greatest honor one human can give to another is to say: ‘Can you help me?’ Be open to others who ask for help. Consider being asked an honor.
“Your University of Chicago education is a privilege. I challenge you to take that privilege, have confidence in your abilities, have high expectations and take that method into the world.”
