I was aware the contents of the speech might not gibe with the occassion, and when the honors department suggested I tone the speech down a bit I complied. As far as I know, there is no record of the speech I actually gave, as a few notes were jotted down 5 minutes before the banquet started. The introduction and the conclusion are, I think, the only things that remained the same.
At the beginning of this week I started to realize that the end is near, in less then a month I graduate. Much sooner than that my senior project must be completed.
As I explained to a friend, a day doesn't take that long to go by and there are plenty of days finish up. But if I skip a couple of days, then I'm in trouble, because there are only a few couple of days in a week, and only two weeks until I must have my project done. Point being, I've gotta make sure I don't get into the habit of taking 'a couple of days off.'
So now I have a personal rule that I only take off one day at a time.
Maybe that wasn't that funny. But I'm not up here to be funny. I'm up here because Jean Danielson seems to like me and asked me to do this. Or doesn't like me and thus asked me to do this.
In any case, I look out and I see a lot of people that I've become very close to over four years. People from my floor freshman year, when the honors program occupied Zemurray and we were like one big family, going to the quarter in a group of 35 people. And we were always late because I had no fashion sense and Colin Davis and Jason Schneider were always dressing me. Some things never change. I mean my sense of fashion, not Colin and Jason dressing me.
I also see people I've worked with and hung out with and occasionally run into during my time at Tulane. Second and Third Year students who have already made a mark on campus, RA's and student group officers. An impressive bunch.
And then there are the freshman. Although I wasn't officially involved with orientation, I helped some of you move in and was there from the beginning. I'm particularly fond of this year's class. Perhaps it's because they really are the best freshman class we've had in a while or perhaps I'm just looking at them with a new perspective. Or perhaps I like them simply because it's the first time I haven't met anyone who is older than I am.
I look out and think 'wow' 'there's an amazing group of people out there' 'they can change the world' 'they can make a difference' 'they want me to sit down.'
People have probably told you time and time again that you can make a difference in the world. That you have the tools to affect the lives of others. They're right. Some of you will undoubtedly take the world in which we all live and make it something better.
Sometimes I wonder what this school will be like when I come back from Scotland. What you folks will do to Tulane once you have the run of the place. Who's going to be running Orientation, who will be President of Hillel and of ASB. What type of students will be here? It's really a fascinating fantasy for me.
But lately, when I've thought about the future of Tulane, I've been a little nervous. Tulane2000 scares me.
I know the subjects been talked about before, and those of you who know me know my feelings on it. But I'm not really using this soapbox to talk about Tulane2000. Instead, I'd like to use Tulane2000 to make a point. And I'll use it as a soapbox at the same time.
The point is that you, as college students, as honors students, and as responsible individuals, have certain duties.
Something I learned a long time ago is that standing idly be while a wrong is being committed is as bad as or worse than committing the wrong. Why? The person actually doing wrong may not be aware of it, and may not be acting voluntarily. But if you, as a witness, are capable of doing something, doing anything, to avert that wrong. and FAIL to do so, then you KNOWINGLY committed a wrong.
Of course that's just what I believe and I don't want to foist my hang ups on you. You are free to believe that standing idly by while wrongs are being done is the greatest thing on earth and will win you lots of brownie points with some deity. But I'm doing the talking here.
My case study:
When I entered this university, students seemed to be the number one
priority. It may have been a case or rose colored glasses, it may have
been the relics of admission counselor propaganda ( and I can say that
because I've worked with the admissions counselors) but I really felt
that I and my classmates were the reason this university existed.
Today, I have my doubts. I've witnessed four years of Tulane President Eamon Kelly's talk about conference USA. I've witnessed Buddy Ball, I've witnessed the basketball team comeback from the death penalty to the NCAA's. And I'm proud of what athletes at Tulane have accomplished. I've seen the Hullabaloo win prizes, I've seen Hillel come get national attention, I've watched TSTV and seen award winning shows. Again, I'm proud of what these student organizations have accomplished.
Because, and I want you guys and gals to understand this, I love Tulane.
In the fours years that I've been here Tulane students and groups have won prizes in almost every conceivable field. And in those areas in which we did not win acclaim, we at least participated, and that says something. For a school this size to have the presence it does across the country and around the world is amazing and magnificent and, lack of pompoms aside, I think I have a lot of school spirit. It's tough to see a list of Tulane accomplishments and not be moved to feel a little pride in my alma-mater-to-be.
But I'm still worried.
Despite all this I am worried.
I don't mean to make you lose faith in Tulane. No plan is ever final and there is no document that can not be shredded. But this administration is not going to shred Tulane2000 of its own volition.
Perhaps I am overstating the facts. Perhaps I have misread the plans. Perhaps the administration has not released all the details to the general public and don't deem it necessary to do so. So I admit, I don't know all there is to know about Tulane2000. But I saw something that looked a little fishy, that made me feel uncomfortable, and I realized that I needed to find a little bit about more about what was going on.
Together, my roommates and I drafted a letter to Dr. Kelly (I believe his degree is in economics) and Ambassador Jon Weinmann, chairman of the Tulane Board of Administrators. In it, we expressed out dissatisfaction, voiced our concerns, and welcomed a response. We circulated the letter among several of our senior friends and many of them added their names to the bottom. It was sent to Dr. Kelly and to Ambassador Weinmann (who then distributed it to the board of administrators).
A week later the reply from Dr. Kelly came. (to all but me. for some reason, the president's office was unable, twice, to deliver a copy to me). What was it? A copy of his letter to the Hullabaloo, which he said addressed our concerns.
Now, several of the signatories worked on the Hullabaloo. Most, if not all of us, read the Hullabaloo (and the Brou, lest you think us narrow minded). I think if his Hullabaloo letter had addressed our concerns then there would have been no need to write to him in the first place.
I'm up here trying to make a point. Most of the student's who signed the letter to Eamon were honor's students. All of us were heavily involved in a variety of aspects of life at Tulane. And all of us agreed that education and research seemed, quite frankly, to be getting the shaft. And that was a wrong we felt could not go unanswered.
Did we change the world? Probably not. But we expressed our concern and raised our voices, and did not stand idly by. And I'm proud of that.
Perhaps Tulane2000 is not the evil I make it out to be. If you know what Tulane2000 entails, or honestly believe it furthers the best interests of this university then perhaps you are satisfied. But I want to remind you Tulane is a University, a place of higher learning, and that the most important groups at such an institution are the students and the professors. They are not the only groups and they are not the only important groups, but almost every other function performed by a university can be performed elsewhere.
Tulane allows you to join social clubs and political groups. You can act in a play, perform in a band, or play on an athletic team. It is truly an amazing place. But, it is possible to do all of those things and not be a University student.
The one resource a university provides that is unavailable elsewhere is a vibrant community of professors and students. Access to an education.
And the hallmark of a great university is that is home to a community of great professors and great students. It provides access to a great education.
Tulane is a great university. You are the students who help to make it great, and you are the beneficiaries of its greatness. But your partners are the faculty. And without a great faculty the Tulane I come to visit in the future will not be the Tulane from which I graduate.
Please don't sit idly by while a wrong is being done.
I offer no suggestions, as students have already marched, petitioned, and wrote letters and articles. I only ask you, as honors students and as members of the Tulane community, to take some time to address this issue.
As I was jotting down notes for this, Jon Beyer, one of my roommates, came back from a dinner date he had been on. Mind you, it was 2 in the morning so I didn't even really need to bother asking him if it had been fun. "Ben," he said, "I only know one really good quote for an introduction, and it's from Will Rogers. But you can modify it if you like." He then droned on for a few minutes as he sometimes does, and I ignored him as I sometimes do.
But I liked the suggestion so I've paraphrased the Will Roger's quote and am using it as a conclusion and not an introduction. Anyway, here is Will Roger's modified quote.
Tulane is like sex. When it's good, it's REEEEAAAALLLY good.
And when it's bad, PAUSE it's still pretty good.
You guys are great! You have already made a difference and will continue to do so. Thanks for a great four years.