英语演讲稿：毕业演讲稿

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,knownasAGES.Startedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectrepresentativestoacampus-widegraduatestudentgovernment,AGESsoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.

ItakewithmethememoryofanEngineeringandPolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.

Itakewithmememoriesofthe1992U.S.Presidentialdebate.EagertogetinvolvedinalltheexcitementIvolunteeredtohelpwhereverneeded.IrememberspendingseveraldaysinthemakeshiftdebateHQgivingout-of-townreportersdirectionstotheathleticcomplex.Irememberbeingthrilledtogetassignedthejobofcollectingfilmfromthephotographersinthedebatehallduringthedebate.AndIrememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkroomfiveminutesintothedebate-withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterIleft.

Itakewithmememoriesofuniversityholidayswhichneverseemedtoapplytograduatestudents.IrememberspendingmanyafallbreakandPresident'sDayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment.

Itakewithmememoriesofexamsthatseemeddesignedmoretotestenduranceandperseverancethanmasteryofthesubjectmatter.Imanagedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24-hour-take-homeexams,butrememberthesufferingofmylessfortunatecolleagues.Andwhatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams?

Itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesn'tseemtoapplyanywhereelseIgo.

ItakewithmethememoryofFridayafternoonACMhappyhours,knownnotforkegsofbeer,butratherbowlsofrainbowsherbetpunch.OvertheseveralyearsthatIattendedthesehappyhourstheyenjoyedvaryingdegreesofpopularity,oftenproportionaltothequalityandquantityoftheaccompanyingrefreshments-buttherewasalwaystherainbowsherbertpunch.

Itakewithmememoriesofpurpleparkingpermits,theWestCampusshuttle,checkingmypendaflex,over-duelibrarybooks,tryingtoprintfromcec,lunchesonDelmar,friendswhosleptintheiroffices,miniaturegolfinLopataHall,TheGreenwayTalk,divisionIIIbasketball,andtryingtoconvinceDeanRusselthatyetanotherengineeringschoolruleshouldbechanged.

Finally,Iwouldliketoconclude,notwithamemory,butwithsomeadvice.Whatwouldagraduationspeechbewithoutalittleadvice,right?Anyway,thisadvicecomesintheformofaversedeliveredtothe1977graduatingclassofLakeForestCollegebyTheodoreSeussGeisel,betterknowntotheworldasDr.Seuss-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.