毕业演讲稿

　　Faculty，family，friends，andfellowgraduates，goodevening。
　　Iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight。OnbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofWashingtonUniversity39；sSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedScience，Iwouldliketothankalltheparents，spouses，families，andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees。Iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily，eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday。Iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp。AndfinallyIwouldliketothanktheWashingtonUniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors，mentors，andfriends。
　　AsIthinkbackonthesevenandahalfyearsIspentatWashingtonUniversity，mymindisfilledwithmemories，happy，sad，frustrating，andevenhumorous。
　　TonightIwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatItakewithmeasIleaveWashingtonUniversity。
　　ItakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthfloorofLopataHalltheroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer，toocoldinwinter，andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen39；srestroom。Thewindowwasmyoffice39；sbestfeature。Wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway，itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch。ButinsteadIgotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding。IalsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofUrbauerHall，whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime。AndIhadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard，noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs。It39；samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongerIworkedonmydissertation。Butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree。FrommyfourthfloorvantagepointIhadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit。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。
　　Itakewithmethememoryoftheshortlivedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches。TheideawasthatgroupsofCSgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch。ButafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentireCSgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop，therewasn39；tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches。
　　Itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort，theestablishmentoftheAssociationofGraduateEngineeringStudents，knownasAGES。Startedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectrepresentativestoacampuswidegraduatestudentgovernment，AGESsoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns。
　　ItakewithmethememoryofanEngineeringandPolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfulltimeundergraduate，masters，anddoctoralstudents。
　　Itakewithmememoriesofthe1992U。S。Presidentialdebate。EagertogetinvolvedinalltheexcitementIvolunteeredtohelpwhereverneeded。IrememberspendingseveraldaysinthemakeshiftdebateHQgivingoutoftownreportersdirectionstotheathleticcomplex。Irememberbeingthrilledtogetassignedthejobofcollectingfilmfromthephotographersinthedebatehallduringthedebate。AndIrememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkroomfiveminutesintothedebatewithnochancetoreenterthedebatehallafterIleft。
　　Itakewithmememoriesofuniversityholidayswhichneverseemedtoapplytograduatestudents。IrememberspendingmanyafallbreakandPresident39；sDayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment。
　　Itakewithmememoriesofexamsthatseemeddesignedmoretotestenduranceandperseverancethanmasteryofthesubjectmatter。Imanagedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24hourtakehomeexams，butrememberthesufferingofmylessfortunatecolleagues。Andwhatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams？
　　Itakewithmethememoryofthesevenminuterule，whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus，butwhichdoesn39；tseemtoapplyanywhereelseIgo。
　　ItakewithmethememoryofFridayafternoonACMhappyhours，knownnotforkegsofbeer，butratherbowlsofrainbowsherbetpunch。OvertheseveralyearsthatIattendedthesehappyhourstheyenjoyedvaryingdegreesofpopularity，oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheaccompanyingrefreshmentsbuttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch。
　　Itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits，theWestCampusshuttle，checkingmypendaflex，overduelibrarybooks，tryingtoprintfromcec，lunchesonDelmar，friendswhosleptintheiroffices，miniaturegolfinLopataHall，TheGreenwayTalk，pisionIIIbasketball，andtryingtoconvinceDeanRusselthatyetanotherengineeringschoolruleshouldbechanged。
　　Finally，Iwouldliketoconclude，notwithamemory，butwithsomeadvice。Whatwouldagraduationspeechbewithoutalittleadvice，right？Anyway，thisadvicecomesintheformofaversedeliveredtothe1977graduatingclassofLakeForestCollegebyTheodoreSeussGeisel，betterknowntotheworldasDr。SeussHere39；showitgoes：
　　Myuncleorderedpopovers
　　fromtherestaurant39；sbilloffare。
　　Andwhentheywereserved，
　　heregardedthem
　　withapenetratingstare。。。
　　ThenhespokegreatWordsofWisdom
　　ashesatthereonthatchair：
　　Toeatthesethings，
　　saidmyuncle，
　　youmustexcercisegreatcare。
　　Youmayswallowdownwhat39；ssolid。。。
　　BUT。。。
　　youmustspitouttheair！
　　And。。。
　　asyoupartakeoftheworld39；sbilloffare，
　　that39；sdarnedgoodadvicetofollow。
　　Doalotofspittingoutthehotair。
　　Andbecarefulwhatyouswallow。
　　Thankyou。