Early in her Commencement address, television journalist Meredith Vieira fretted that the graduates might forget her speech years from now.

She then made forgetting the speech unlikely with a moment of performance art, illustrating her theme that life’s joy lies in its adventurous uncertainty.

Vieira, who spoke at the 142nd Commencement ceremony on May 17, recalled for the graduates Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in February, when a dancer dressed as a shark joined the singer on stage, gyrating madly to his own beat. On cue, a shark-attired figure (courtesy of Vieira’s assistant) pranced onto the Commencement stage for a few seconds before departing.

“Don’t ever be a conformist for convenience’s sake,” Vieira told the crowd, who laughed and applauded.

More than a memorable gimmick, the moment underlined the theme of the Emmy-winning broadcast journalist and talk show host’s speech, which stressed the importance of staying open to new possibilities. But Vieira warned the graduates that doing so wouldn’t always be easy. Recalling that her gender helped her snare her first reporter’s job in feminist-conscious 1976, she said that women journalists sometimes found little workplace support. She told of being fired from one job, but, bucked up by her supportive father, she demanded her job back, and got it. It takes self-confidence, coupled with hard work, to succeed, she said.

In addition to Vieira, who received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honorary degrees were awarded to trustee Allen Questrom (Questrom’64) and his wife, Kelli Questrom, whose record $50 million gift to BU will expand the Questrom School of Business (Doctor of Humane Letters); Cornell William Brooks (STH’87), president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Doctor of Laws); and George Wein (CAS’50), jazz promoter and music festival producer (Doctor of Humane Letters).

More than 6,600 students graduated on May 17.Photo by Kristyn Ulanday (COM’10)

President Robert A. Brown presented the University’s highest teaching honors to three BU faculty members. The Metcalf Cup and Prize for Excellence in Teaching went to Janice Furlong, a School of Social Work clinical associate professor. Brown gave Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching to Pamela Templer, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of biology, and Binyomin Abrams, a CAS senior lecturer in chemistry.

Earlier in the day, Brooks, who is also a Methodist minister, delivered the Baccalaureate address at Marsh Chapel in what he called a homecoming to the “historical, powerful chapel” where he drew spiritual sustenance as a theology student.

Brooks called upon “the most important graduating class in history—the class of now” to retain and act upon the sense of social justice they acquired at BU. In a time of high-profile cases of police brutality against people of color, “people of your age have engaged the world in a conversation about racial justice,” he said.

“We are at a crossroads of our history and our personal narratives,” he said, quoting Eleanor Roosevelt: “This is no ordinary time.” He added, “This is an extraordinary moment for this Class of 2015.”

Complete Commencement coverage is here.