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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.