What’s possible by taking a calculated risk? Her college students find answer can be transformative

Making a difference may involve the temporary discomfort of standing out. But it can have great impact, Vanessa E. Volz tells graduates in her commencement address at Rhode Island College’s Advanced Degree Ceremony on May 9, 2024, in the college's Murray Center. (Gene St. Pierre/ Rhode Island College)

Editor’s note: Vanessa Volz delivered the commencement address at Rhode Island College’s Advanced Degree Ceremony on May 9, 2024, in the college’s Murray Center. This is a lightly edited version of the speech.

Class of 2024, I invite you to engage in outrageous acts.

You didn’t hear me incorrectly, and I didn’t mis-speak. I just invited you to take your newly minted graduate degree and engage in outrageous acts.

Not courageous acts.

Not noble acts.

Outrageous acts.

You may be wondering — what is an outrageous act?

“Outrageous,” by its definition, is “very bold, unusual, and startling.”

While “courageous” typically refers to bravery or fearlessness while facing danger or difficulty, “outrageous” implies innovation and a willingness to change norms and conventions, even if it may be unusual or controversial. 

The activist and writer Gloria Steinem, while being interviewed once, made the following suggestion: “If each person in the room promises that …(they) will do at least one outrageous thing in the name of simple justice, then I promise I will, too.”

I’ve referred to this quote by Steinem many times both professionally and personally. I teach a “Gender and Society” course to undergraduates here at Rhode Island College. Several years ago, I adapted an assignment suggested to me by another colleague. Students are asked to undertake an anti-gender conforming “outrageous act” by the end of the semester, and then report out to the class what that act was.

I give my students significant latitude to decide what they consider to be “outrageous.” And not to worry, Rhode Island College administrators — the outrageous acts must be safe and legal.

Unfortunately, it seems like the list of what’s both safe and legal in this country is shrinking faster than the lifespan of a smartphone battery. May we cherish what is legal while we still can.

My students’ outrageous acts have varied significantly. For example, one student asked her boss for a raise. Another student disclosed to the class that she weighed herself every day, and she threw her scale away.  One student confronted her mother with a familial concern she’d had for years. Yet another student showed up at a rally and protested for the Black Lives Matter movement in downtown Providence.

I’ve taught this “outrageous acts” assignment several times over the years, and I’ve noticed a common theme throughout. When I introduce this concept on the first day, everyone looks at me with a mixture of horror and disbelief. But when everyone presents their act on the final day of class, they are confident, sometimes even proud, and inspired by what is possible by taking a calculated risk — however small or large.

One student asked her boss for a raise. Another student disclosed to the class that she weighed herself every day, and she threw her scale away. … Yet another student showed up at a rally and protested for the Black Lives Matter movement in downtown Providence.

There have been so many times throughout history where the outrageous acts of others have resulted in remarkable breakthroughs in our society. Imagine what our world would look like today if Galileo hadn’t advocated for the heliocentric model of the solar system, if Susan B. Anthony hadn’t tirelessly led the women’s suffrage movement, if Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. hadn’t engaged in acts of civil disobedience, or if Harvey Milk hadn’t fought for equality in the LGBTQ+ community. Yet at the time, what they were advocating for was considered nothing less than outrageous by our society’s standards at that time.

And, of course, let’s not forget the global impact of the groundbreaking outrageous contributions of another trailblazer – Taylor Swift. After all, who else could turn heartbreak into chart-topping hits and cause millions of people to reconsider their stance on ex-lovers?

Class of 2024, I invite you to follow the footsteps of these other pioneers and be outrageous. Do outrageous things. Embrace your uniqueness, take risks, use your skills and recently acquired knowledge, and challenge the status quo as you embark on your next journey. 

I daresay that right now we need your outrageous acts more than ever. You may have been too preoccupied with your coursework, papers, and exams these last few years to pay adequate attention to the news, but in case you’re not aware, there’s a lot of work to do:

• We need outrageous acts to challenge stereotypes, promote diversity, and amplify marginalized voices.

• We need outrageous acts to protect freedom of speech and expression in the face of censorship.

• We need outrageous thinking in driving innovation and progress in fields like technology, medicine, and business, where disruptive ideas often lead to breakthroughs that save and improve people’s lives.

• We need bold action to address urgent issues like climate change and environmental degradation.

• We need to advocate for the rights of all individuals, regardless of who they love or how they identify.

• And in a complex landscape of modern-day political conflicts, where cultural identities clash with religious beliefs, resulting in horrifying cycles of violence, outrageous acts are not only necessary but often serve as a means of resistance against injustice.

These are huge issues to tackle, of course, and I’m not saying that you must do something so outrageous that it will change the world. But perhaps you can do something outrageous enough that it will change your world. Sometimes small outrageous acts incrementally pave the way for something bigger to happen later. Everyone’s definition of what is outrageous will differ. It’s most important that you define what is outrageous for you and your own life.

I recognize it’s not always necessarily easy to do something outrageous. Daring to challenge existing circumstances with outrageous acts may not always be met with applause. Whether it’s advocating for important causes, speaking out against injustice, or simply being true to what I believed to be right, I’ve experienced firsthand that disrupting the norm won’t always make you popular or win you friends. 

However, I’ve also come to understand that the value of making a difference outweighs the temporary discomfort of standing out. Sometimes, it’s in the moments of discomfort and resistance that our impact is most deeply felt.

I invite you to sit in the discomfort that will inevitably arise when you undertake something that is outside the norm or that challenges what has come before it. In this very discomfort, what was at first outrageous becomes truly transformational.

Congratulations again, Class of 2024. May you be bold, may you be courageous — and may you, above all, engage in outrageous acts. I hope your collective outrageous endeavors lead you to extraordinary success — and to a more just world.

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