studentspeechdeliveredatthewashingtonuniversityengineeringgraduatestudentrecognitionceremony
15may1997
lorriefaithcranor
faculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.
iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.onbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofwashingtonuniversity'sschoolofengineeringandappliedscience,iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.andfinallyiwouldliketothankthewashingtonuniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends.
asithinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsispentatwashingtonuniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.
tonightiwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatitakewithmeasileavewashingtonuniversity.
itakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthflooroflopatahall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen'srestroom.thewindowwasmyoffice'sbestfeature.wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.butinsteadigotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.ialsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofurbauerhall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.andihadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.it'samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongeriworkedonmydissertation.butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree.frommyfourth-floorvantagepointihadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.
itakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileiwasagraduatestudent.annejohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomitookacourseintheengineeringschool,andbobdurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.irememberthemfondly.
itakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesitookasanundergraduate.irememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatiwouldneverbeabletopassit.soiwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass.andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeicouldsucceedinhisclass.forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andiendedthesemesterwithanaonthefinalexam.irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.
itakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewheniarrivedinst.louis8yearsago.sincemovingtonewjersey,iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereiwenttohighschool.
itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.theideawasthatgroupsofcsgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.butafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentirecsgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,therewasn'tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.
itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestablishmentoftheassociationofgraduateengineeringstudents,tedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectrepresentativestoacampus-widegraduatestudentgovernment,agessoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.
itakewithmethememoryofanengineeringandpolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.
经典毕业英语演讲稿
emberspendingmanyafallbreakandpresident'sdayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment.
agedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24-hour-take-homeexams,hatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams?
itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesn'tseemtoapplyanywhereelseigo.
itakewithmethememoryoffridayafternoonacmhappyhours,knownnotforkegsofbeer,theseveralyearsthatiattendedthesehappyhourstheyenjoyedvaryingdegreesofpopularity,oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheaccompanyingrefreshments-buttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch.
itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits,thewestcampusshuttle,checkingmypendaflex,over-duelibrarybooks,tryingtoprintfromcec,lunchesondelmar,friendswhosleptintheiroffices,miniaturegolfinlopatahall,thegreenwaytalk,divisioniiibasketball,andtryingtoconvincedeanrusselthatyetanotherengineeringschoolruleshouldbechanged.
finally,iwouldliketoconclude,notwithamemory,wouldagraduationspeechbewithoutalittleadvice,right?anyway,thisadvicecomesintheformofaversedeliveredtothe1977graduatingclassoflakeforestcollegebytheodoreseussgeisel,s-here'showitgoes:
myuncleorderedpopovers
fromtherestaurant'sbilloffare.
andwhentheywereserved,
heregardedthem
withapenetratingstare...
thenhespokegreatwordsofwisdom
ashesatthereonthatchair:
"toeatthesethings,"
saidmyuncle,
"youmustexcercisegreatcare.
youmayswallowdownwhat'ssolid...
but...
youmustspitouttheair!"
and...
asyoupartakeoftheworld'sbilloffare,
that'经典毕业英语演讲稿
doalotofspittingoutthehotair.
andbecarefulwhatyouswallow.
thankyou.
