演讲稿:毕业演讲稿StudentSpeechDeliveredattheWashingtonUniversityEngineeringGraduateStudentRecognitionCeremonyl5Mayl997LorrieFaithCranorFaculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.Iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.OnbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofWashingtonUniversitysSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedScience,Iwouldliketothankalltheparents，spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.Iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.Iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.AndfinallylwouldliketothanktheWashingtonUniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasouriinstructors,mentors,andfriends.AsIthinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyears
IspentatWashingtonUniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy，sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.TonightlwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatltakewithmeaslleaveWashingtonUniversity.ItakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthfloorofLopataHall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen?srestroom.Thewindowwasmyoffice5sbestfeature.Wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.Butinsteadlgotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.IalsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofUrbauerHall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.AndIhadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.It’samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongerlworkedonmydi
ssertation.Butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearby
oaktree.Frommyfourth-floorvantagepointlhadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.Occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.Ita.kewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhilelwasagraduatestudent.Annejohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomltookacourseintheengineeringschool,andBobDurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.Irememberthemfondly.Itakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesltookasanundergraduate.IrememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatIwouldneverbeabletopassit.Solwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass,•Andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmelcouldsucceedinhisclass.Forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.Andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,an
dlendedthesemesterwithanAonthefinalexam.Irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.ItakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfrienrrivedinSt.Louis8yearsago.SineemovingtoNewjersey,Iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewherelwenttohighschool.Itakewithmethememoryoftheshort一livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.TheideawasthatgroupsofCSgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.ButafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentireCSgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,therewasn’tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.Itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestablishmentoftheAssociationofGraduateEngineeringStudents,knownasAGES.Startedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawadlinessthatsosurprisedmewhenla
ytoelectrepresentativestoacampus-widegra.duatestudentgovernment,AGESsoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.ItakewithmethememoryofanEngineeringandPolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.Itakewil:hmememoriesofthel992Presidentialdebate.Eagertogetinvolvedinalltheexcitementlvolunteeredtohelpwhereverneeded.IrememberspendingseveraldaysinthemakeshiftdebateHQgivingout-of一townreportersdirectionstotheathleticcomplex.Irememberbeingthrilledtogetassignedthejobofcollectingfilmfromthephotographersinthedebatehallduringthedebate.Andlrememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkr
oomfiveminutesintothedebate—withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterlleft.Itakewithmememoriesofuniversityholidayswhichneverseemedtoapplytograduatestudents.IrememberspendingmanyafallbreakandPresident’sDayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsina.1ldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment.Itakewithmememoriesofexamsthatseemeddesignedmoretotestenduranceandperseverancethanmasteryofthesubjectmatter.Imanagedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24-hour-take-homeexams，butrememberthesufferingofmylessfortunatecolleagues.Andwhatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams?Itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichaiwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesn’tseemtoapplyanywhereelselgo.ItakewithmethememoryofFridayafternoonACMhappyhours，knownnotforkegsofbeer,butra
therbowlsofrainbowsherbetpunch.Overtheseveralyearsthatlattendedthesehappyhourstheyenjoyedvaryingdegreesofpopularity,oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheaccompanyingrefreshments-buttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch.Itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits，theWestCampusshuttle,checkingmypendaflex,over-duelibrarybooks,tryingtoprintfromcec,lunchesonDelmar,friendswhosleptintheiroffices,miniaturegolfinLopataHall,TheGreenwayTalk,divisionIllbasketball,andtryingtoconvinceDeanRusselthatyetanotherengineeringschoolruleshouldbechanged.Finally,Iwouldliketoconclude,notwithamemory,butwithsomeadvice.Whatwouldagraduationspeechbewithoutalittleadvice,right?Anyway,thisadvicecomesintheformofaversedeliveredtothel977graduatingclassofLakeForestCollegebyTheodoreSeussGeisel,betterknowntotheworldasDiSeuss-Here’showitgoes:Myuncleorderedpopovers
fromtherestaurant’sbilloffare.Andwhentheywereserved,heregardedthemwithapenetratingstare…ThenhespokegreatWordsofWisdomashesatthereonthatchair:〃Toeatthesethings,〃saidmyuncle,/zyoumustexcercisegreatcare.Youmayswallowdownwhat’ssolid…BUT…youmustspitouttheair!"And…asyoupartakeoftheworld’sbilloffare,that’sdarnedgoodadvicetofollow.Doalotofspittingoutthehotair.Andbecarefulwhatyouswallow.Thankyou.
