studentspeechdeliveredatthewashingtonuniversityengineeringgraduatestudentrecognitionceremony
15may1997
lorriefaithcranor
faculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.
"sschoolofengineeringandappliedscience,iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,,,mentors,andfriends.
asithinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsispentatwashingtonuniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.
tonightiwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatitakewithmeasileavewashingtonuniversity.
itakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthflooroflopatahall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen"",,,",whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.
,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomitookacourseintheengineeringschool,andbobdurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,.
,,,,.
,iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereiwenttohighschool.
,therewasn"tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.
itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestablishmentoftheassociationofgraduateengineeringstudents,-widegraduatestudentgovernment,agessoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.
itakewithmethememoryofanengineeringandpolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.
-withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterileft.
"sdayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment.
-hour-take-homeexams,?
itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesn"tseemtoapplyanywhereelseigo.
itakewithmethememoryoffridayafternoonacmhappyhours,knownnotforkegsofbeer,,oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheaccompanyingrefreshments-buttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch.
itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits,thewestcampusshuttle,checkingmypendaflex,over-duelibrarybooks,tryingtoprintfromcec,lunchesondelmar,friendswhosleptintheiroffices,miniaturegolfinlopatahall,thegreenwaytalk,divisioniiibasketball,andtryingtoconvincedeanrusselthatyetanotherengineeringschoolruleshouldbechanged.
finally,iwouldliketoconclude,notwithamemory,,right?anyway,thisadvicecomesintheformofaversedeliveredtothe1977graduatingclassoflakeforestcollegebytheodoreseussgeisel,-here"showitgoes:
myuncleorderedpopovers
fromtherestaurant"sbilloffare.
andwhentheywereserved,
heregardedthem
withapenetratingstare...
thenhespokegreatwordsofwisdom
ashesatthereonthatchair:
"toeatthesethings,"
saidmyuncle,
"youmustexcercisegreatcare.
youmayswallowdownwhat"ssolid...
but...
youmustspitouttheair!"
and...
asyoupartakeoftheworld"sbilloffare,
that"sdarnedgoodadvicetofollow.
doalotofspittingoutthehotair.
andbecarefulwhatyouswallow.