Student speaker Alex Marston drew approving smiles from President Barack Obama several times during his four-minute speech.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

University of Michigan graduate Alex Marston, the designated student speaker for the commencement ceremony this morning, briefly grabbed the spotlight by delivering a whimsical, thoughtful speech reflecting on the importance of embracing change.

Marston, referencing the “change you can believe in” theme from President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, said students need to embrace change even when it feels unpleasant.

“As a nation, we have found that changes can bring us together. But they can also tear us apart,” the English major and Rockville, Md., native said. “Today we must reexamine our views toward change. We must embrace change and realize that with every change comes new opportunity.” 

Michigan graduate Alex Marston gives the remarks on behalf of the students during spring commencement ceremony this morning at Michigan Stadium.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

Marston, who could not be reached by AnnArbor.com after the speech, was the star of the show among seven speakers preceding Obama on the podium.

He was only given four minutes, but he made the most of it, sprinkling his speech with thoughtful reflections, Ann Arbor references and a little bit of Wolverine humor.

“We can see our ambivalence about 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 and full of growing pains,” Marston said in a sly reference to U-M’s disastrous loss to Appalachian State and the subsequent hiring of controversial coach Rich Rodriguez, whose tenure thus far has been a disappointment.

That line drew laughter from U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, who could be seen leaning toward Gov. Jennifer Granholm and whispering something.

The speech drew high praise. Obama said he “really liked Alex’s remarks” - an observation not included in the prepared text of the president’s speech.

Marston devised his speech strategy in the weeks before the ceremony with retired speech communication professor Al Storey, who has advised every student speaker since 1998.

The speech alternated between wit and introspective cultural analysis. On a serious note, Marston offered a purposeful critique of Generation Y, saying “we desire change, yet 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,” he said. “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.”

The instant gratification provided by Ann Arbor’s legendary cuisine destinations, however, was altogether welcome.

“We must embrace change and realize that with every change comes new opportunity,” Marston said. “While most of us will no longer be able to spend our Fridays at Charley's and our Sundays at the UGLi, we will create new traditions and find new goals to achieve.”

Here’s the text of Alex Marston’s speech, as transcribed by AnnArbor.com:

Thank you, Dean McDonald. President Obama, distinguished guests, faculty, friends, family and fellow graduates:

Today, we graduates are forced to change, to move forward in a new direction. But change is a funny thing. We desire change, yet 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. (Obama nods and smiles.)

As a nation, we have found that changes can bring us together. But they can also tear us apart. We can see our ambivalence about 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 and full of growing pains. (Coleman laughing).

Today we must reexamine our views toward change. We must embrace change and realize that with every change comes new opportunity. While most of us will no longer be able to spend our Fridays at Charley’s 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.

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 a university that has provided us with the tools and the will to make the world a better place. Go Blue!

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com Business Review's newsletters.