20XX年一位美国华盛顿大学学生的毕业演讲稿.doc

演讲稿 20xx年一位美国华盛顿大学学生的毕业演讲稿 studentspeechdeliveredatthewashingtonuniversityengineeringgraduatestudentrecognitionceremony15may1997lorriefaithcranorfaculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.onbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofwashingtonuniversitysschoolofengineeringandappliedscience,iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.andfinallyiwouldliketothankthewashingtonuniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends.asithinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsispentatwashingtonuniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.tonightiwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatitakewithmeasileavewashingtonuniversity.itakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthflooroflopatahall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomensrestroom.thewindowwasmyofficesbestfeature.wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.butinsteadigotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.ialsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofurbauerhall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.andihadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.itsamazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongeriworkedonmydissertation.butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree.frommyfourth-floorvantagepointihadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.itakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileiwasagraduatestudent.annejohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomitookacourseintheengineeringschool,andbobdurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationmittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.irememberthemfondly. itakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesitookasanundergraduate.irememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatiwouldneverbeabletopassit.soiwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass.andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeicouldsucceedinhisclass.forreasonsthatseemedpletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andiendedthesemesterwithanaonthefinalexam.irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.itakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewheniarrivedinst.louis8yearsago.sincemovingtonewjersey,iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereiwenttohighschool.itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedputersciencegraduatestudentsocialmitteelunches.theideawasthatgroupsofcsgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.butafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentirecsgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,therewasntmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestablishmentoftheassociationofgraduateengineeringstudents,knownasages.startedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectrepresentativestoacampus-widegraduatestudentgovernment,agessoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.itakewithmethememoryofanengineeringandpolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.itakewithmememoriesofthe1992u.s.presidentialdebate.eagertogetinvolvedinalltheexcitementivolunteeredtohelpwhereverneeded.irememberspendingseveraldaysinthemakeshiftdebatehqgivingout-of-townreportersdirectionstotheathleticplex.irememberbeingthrilledtogetassignedthejobofcollectingfilmfromthephotographersinthedebatehallduringthedebate.andirememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkroomfiveminutesintothedebate-withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterileft.itakewithmememoriesofuniversityholidayswhichneverseemedtoapplytograduatestudents.irememberspendingmanyafallbreakandpresidentsdayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbytheputersciencedepartment.itakewithmememoriesofexamsthatseemeddesignedmoretotestenduranceandperseverancethanmasteryofthesubjectmatter.imanagedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24-hour-take-homeexams,butrememberthesufferingofmylessfortunatecolleagues.andwhatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams?itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesntseemtoapplyanywhereelseigo.itakewithmethememoryoffridayafternoonacmhappyhours,knownnotforkegsofbeer,butratherbowlsofrainbowsherbetpunch.overtheseveralyearsthatiattendedthesehappyhourstheyenjoyedvaryingdegreesofpopularity,oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheacpanyingrefreshments-buttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch.itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits,thewestcampusshuttle,checkingmypendaflex,over-duelibrarybooks,tryingtoprintfromcec,lunchesondelmar,friendswhosleptinthei