Tim Cook speaks at MIT Commencement
Highlights importance of the humanities and technology
Over 2,800 total undergraduate and graduate students received their degrees at MIT commencement June 9.
At commencement, 1,066 undergraduate students and 1,818 graduate students received degrees, according to Registrar Mary Callahan. Over the course of the academic year, 1,121 bachelor's, 1,780 master's, and 622 doctorate degrees were awarded.
Tim Cook underlines importance of technology in conjunction with humanities
“I thought I’d discover my life’s purpose when I could answer the question...‘what’s your major’?” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. It wasn’t until he started working at Apple, Cook explained, that his work felt meaningful.
“If we are ever going to solve some of the hardest problems facing the world today...then technology will help us do that. But technology alone isn’t the solution. And sometimes, it’s even part of the problem.” Rather, what’s important is putting humans at the center of what you do, Cook said.
Several students expressed disappointment with the “product placement” in Cook’s speech. Cook incorporated several Apple products into his address to graduates including the iPhone, the Apple watch, and the iPad. “Should commencement be an advertisement field?” asked William Qian ’16 in a Facebook comment to The Tech.
Senior class president offers senior gift
Liana Ilutzi ’17 announced the senior gift: 64 percent of seniors donated to MIT, and raised a total of $17,750.
Reif encourages students to “make the world a little more like MIT”
President L. Rafael Reif called on students to “hack the world” to “make the world a little more like MIT.”
He joked that the vibrations from campus dance parties could be detected from 3 billion light years away.
Reif also stated that, while the new iPhone 8 is rumored not to have a home button, he hopes that MIT students will always know they have a home at MIT.
Update 06/12/17: This article has been updated to reflect that over 2,800 (rather than over 2,700, as previously written) students were present at commencement. This article has also been updated with the exact breakdown of bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees awarded.