In June 2008, I had the honor of addressing the Groves graduating class.
This is what I said.
Usually, the President of the School Board is given the honor of addressing the graduating class. The
Birmingham Board of Education however, has a tradition that if a child of a Board member is graduating, then that Board member gets the honor of addressing the graduates.
This caused a slight predicament at the Soifer house. At the dinner table one night shortly after being elected to the School Board, I proudly announced, “Guess what? I get to speak at commencement in
2008,” to which I received these replies: my husband said, “I wouldn’t want that pressure”, my son, then
a senior said, in a typical, but well thought out one word response, “Cool!” My daughter, then a freshman,
stared at me in disbelief, and then said, “That’s the year I graduate”, followed by, “You will not use my
name or tell any stories about me.”
So, to the graduating senior with whom I share a last name, I say thank you, it is because of you that
I have the honor today to speak to the Wylie E. Groves class of 2008.
Before I do so, I would like to introduce the Board of Education. President Michael Fenberg, Vice
President Geri Rinschler, Treasurer Susan Hill, Trustee Deb Roberts, Trustee Rob Lawrence and
Trustee Chris Conti. As individuals, we bring diverse thoughts and viewpoints to our work. Together,
we bring a strong collective desire to inspire a passion for learning in all students. I thank my Board
colleagues for their commitment, knowledge, perseverance and, perhaps most important, their sense of
humor. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along
with people, of getting things done.”
I graduated from West Bloomfield High School, 29 years ago, The Class of 1979.
As we lined up for the processional, our student government representatives handed each of us a
marble. Our instructions were to hand the marble to our principal when we shook hands to receive our
diploma. Our principal and other dignitaries on the stage were dressed in full academic regalia. As we
progressed through the alphabet of names, our principal had to take off his mortar-board cap and place
it upside down on the stage to hold all the marbles.
We were supremely proud of our creativity and the prank was quite entertaining to all of us. But as I
now reflect on that experience, I realize it was, in many ways, symbolic of this milestone we know as
graduation. While each of us walked away with our diploma, we left behind a tangible artifact
representing each of us individually and in sum, the entire graduating class.
Robert Orben said, “A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells
hundreds of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that “individuality” is the key to success.”
I didn’t know who Robert Orben was, so I Googled him and then read about him on Wikipedia, you know,
the open source resource that you can’t use in research papers. I’m taking a leap, but I’m trusting that
whomever edited the Robert Orben page got the facts straight. Born in 1927, Orben, a professional
comedy writer, wrote jokes for television shows. He eventually found his way into politics and became
the head speechwriter for President Gerald R. Ford. Later, he was appointed Director of the White
House speechwriting department. A professional comedy writer. Think about that.
In my mind, proving the importance of having a sense of humor.
Most of you were born in this generation’s peak birth year, 1990, making you part of the largest
graduating class in the United States in two decades. Over 3.3 million of you. You have applied to
colleges and universities in record numbers. Universities say the trend is the result of demographics and the impact of online applications.
It has been said that we live in exponential times.
Did you Know?
There are over 2.7 BILLION searches performed on Google each MONTH.
And, that the number of text messages sent and received each day exceeds the population of the planet.
Between cell phones and the Internet, you have a world of information literally at your fingertips.
Can you even imagine water wars without cell phones?
Recently, Japan launched an Internet satellite called the Kizuna (the name, selected through a public nomination process, means “ties” or “bonds”, in the sense of linking people together. The satellite is designed to give extremely high Internet speeds to rural areas that have been left off the country’s
already high-speed grid.
We live in an age of personal media. We have access to vast amounts of information, of our choosing,
anywhere, anytime. More than any other generation, yours will be defined by how you navigate, interpret,
adapt and use the information available to you.
Futurist Paul Saffo cautions: “Individuals can select from a vast cyber- sea of media and utterly
saturate their information space exclusively with information that reinforces existing world views.”
As we adapt to the era of personal media in this conceptual age, it is important to let your personal
learning networks expand, and not limit your world view.
We are counting on you to create, share and contribute in a globally connected, technology enabled,
rapidly changing world. And we’re counting on you to do it with honesty, integrity, courage and resilience.
Pursue your interests, work hard, learn what your options are. Read, think, reflect, ask questions and
never underestimate what you are capable of.
Look around you. We are all here today to honor you, celebrate with you and to mark this moment
with you. Know that wherever your life journey leads you, you are never far from home.
Remember how this moment feels- you have accomplished much, as individuals and together, as a
class. We are behind you all the way, with love, to the moon and back. Congratulations!