毕业英语演讲稿

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.

rememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkroomfiveminutesintothedebate-withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterileft.

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'sdarnedgoodadvicetofollow.

doalotofspittingoutthehotair.

andbecarefulwhatyouswallow.

thankyou.