19 April 2009
Squiggy Speech
April, 22, 2009 10:53 AM
Here’s a speech that I gave to the Lambda Pi Eta 2009 Inductees at our annual event. The theme I wanted to convey was accountability:
Thank you all for coming and thank you to the faculty and staff at the Communications Department. Collectively, they all work very hard behind-the-scenes to make sure we have the right tools and connections, and I am again indebted to them all for their dedication. Thank you.
Now, some of us arrived here tonight without much knowledge of what Lambda Pi Eta really is. We are indeed a community of academics pursuing higher learning and appreciation for Communications, holding true to the values of ancient Greek philosophy. While I am not a philosophy expert like Dr. Zaitchik, I do know that Logos, Pathos and Ethos are the central appeals from which we draw for said inspiration. Logos is the ‘word’ and derives from logic; Pathos explores the audience’s emotions, and Ethos explores ‘morals and ethics’.
Perhaps these are just boring and old notions that have no place in today’s modern world. After all, we have blogs to read, facebook friends to make, and tweets ready for tweeting. How do we connect the past to the present? How do we go forward and remain mindful of history?
The short and most obvious answer: I don’t know! In fact, not many people do understand how to bridge the gap between classical mores to advancements in exchanges of ideas. Long after us all, this struggle will continue on. So, ideally, our goals should not be to solve the world’s problems, per se, but instead, to focus on improving our own individual systems around us.
My personal challenge to you all is the same one I hold over myself every day: I want true progress, but even more, I want true accountability. Too often, we are fed grandiose promises that our leaders knowingly cannot fulfill. Our leaders like to think of us as an ignorant and unknowing group that does not care enough anymore. Well…you are the future leaders. You are the standard against which others are measured. You are in control of a better tomorrow.
We’ve all had troubling times to cope with, even here at school. I, too, have seen those long registration lines; I, too, have seen the disconnect between commuters and the campus; I, too, have lamented the loss of our library. We have had to endure so much just to get here tonight. And yet, here you are.
We have all survived the good, and mostly, as of late, the bad. Do not give in to the temptation of the easy way out. You’ve earned your place here tonight, so don’t stop excelling now. We need you for that better tomorrow.
I remember when I first arrived here in 2002. I was naïve and idealistic. I had big hopes for my higher education. Unfortunately, I had a terrible bout with kidney stones. If you don’t know much about kidney stones, keep it that way. The more you find out, the more excruciating it gets. Suffice to say, I dropped out of school. But I didn’t withdraw. I literally just stopped going and essentially gave up. As a result, I flunked out and it was only my first semester.
Eventually, I recovered and found a full-time job, all the while knowing that I didn’t finish what I started, knowing that I wasn’t being accountable for a better education -- a better self. I had the good fortune of meeting the late great Dr. Sandra Fowler, and in an instant, my fortunes changed. Suddenly, I wasn’t just moseying on through life, I was gaining that missing purpose back. I was becoming an adult. I was becoming responsible.
Suddenly, it struck again. Another set back, another kidney stone. But this time I was well involved in my course-work, and had developed great relationships with my professors. At the time, I was in Dr. Brown’s class. He was quite willing to help me out. He made sure to inform my peers of what was going on and stayed on top of me. After explaining my surgery was a success to Dr. Brown, he gave me but a one word reply: ‘ouch.’
See, instead of tuning everyone out, I prepared them with advance notifications and kept up with course work remotely. When I made my return weeks later, I transitioned perfectly. I was embodying accountability.
Today I stand before you, readying myself for that quote unquote REAL WORLD. The same real world that harbors some of the worst economic times Americans have ever seen. I myself have filled out dozens of applications, been on multiple job interviews, and even had to showcase my writing abilities in the form of a test. Guess those quizzes finally paid off!
While I have not found my job, let alone my career, I remain confident. I have had some of the most wonderful experiences here, and it was in large part because of the Communications Department. What is so unique about our department is our community. Students level with professors and the mutual respect between the two parties is remarkable. To have the kind of one-to-one relationship is increasingly difficult to find in our increasingly cold digital world.
I remain confident because I feel as though I was taught by the best. I hope you believe me when I tell you that you can accomplish anything. Even this semester alone, I never thought I would be able to fit in the time to create a portfolio, let alone a website. Yet, here I am, hawking my website, ChrisSicuranza.com – and this is in large part because of the direction and care I was given from Communications Chairwoman Dr. Judi Cook. The faculty here truly want change for the better in all of us here.
Major changes are taking place all across America. Whether you agree with his policies or not, President Barack Obama embodies a new attitude of hope that we all demand. The moral direction of this country is set anew with our latest administration, inspiring all of us to carry on a message of true progress. A movement like this comes once every generation or so, and you can rest assured that people like you made all the difference in starting that development.
Again, I challenge you new inductees to remain vigilant against sloth, and march toward a more responsible society. Just remember that your journey only really starts tonight. Take on the challenges you see in your community. Be the inspiration that has been absent for so long. As always, strive for true progress, but even more, strive for true accountability.
Thank you all for coming and thank you to the faculty and staff at the Communications Department. Collectively, they all work very hard behind-the-scenes to make sure we have the right tools and connections, and I am again indebted to them all for their dedication. Thank you.
Now, some of us arrived here tonight without much knowledge of what Lambda Pi Eta really is. We are indeed a community of academics pursuing higher learning and appreciation for Communications, holding true to the values of ancient Greek philosophy. While I am not a philosophy expert like Dr. Zaitchik, I do know that Logos, Pathos and Ethos are the central appeals from which we draw for said inspiration. Logos is the ‘word’ and derives from logic; Pathos explores the audience’s emotions, and Ethos explores ‘morals and ethics’.
Perhaps these are just boring and old notions that have no place in today’s modern world. After all, we have blogs to read, facebook friends to make, and tweets ready for tweeting. How do we connect the past to the present? How do we go forward and remain mindful of history?
The short and most obvious answer: I don’t know! In fact, not many people do understand how to bridge the gap between classical mores to advancements in exchanges of ideas. Long after us all, this struggle will continue on. So, ideally, our goals should not be to solve the world’s problems, per se, but instead, to focus on improving our own individual systems around us.
My personal challenge to you all is the same one I hold over myself every day: I want true progress, but even more, I want true accountability. Too often, we are fed grandiose promises that our leaders knowingly cannot fulfill. Our leaders like to think of us as an ignorant and unknowing group that does not care enough anymore. Well…you are the future leaders. You are the standard against which others are measured. You are in control of a better tomorrow.
We’ve all had troubling times to cope with, even here at school. I, too, have seen those long registration lines; I, too, have seen the disconnect between commuters and the campus; I, too, have lamented the loss of our library. We have had to endure so much just to get here tonight. And yet, here you are.
We have all survived the good, and mostly, as of late, the bad. Do not give in to the temptation of the easy way out. You’ve earned your place here tonight, so don’t stop excelling now. We need you for that better tomorrow.
I remember when I first arrived here in 2002. I was naïve and idealistic. I had big hopes for my higher education. Unfortunately, I had a terrible bout with kidney stones. If you don’t know much about kidney stones, keep it that way. The more you find out, the more excruciating it gets. Suffice to say, I dropped out of school. But I didn’t withdraw. I literally just stopped going and essentially gave up. As a result, I flunked out and it was only my first semester.
Eventually, I recovered and found a full-time job, all the while knowing that I didn’t finish what I started, knowing that I wasn’t being accountable for a better education -- a better self. I had the good fortune of meeting the late great Dr. Sandra Fowler, and in an instant, my fortunes changed. Suddenly, I wasn’t just moseying on through life, I was gaining that missing purpose back. I was becoming an adult. I was becoming responsible.
Suddenly, it struck again. Another set back, another kidney stone. But this time I was well involved in my course-work, and had developed great relationships with my professors. At the time, I was in Dr. Brown’s class. He was quite willing to help me out. He made sure to inform my peers of what was going on and stayed on top of me. After explaining my surgery was a success to Dr. Brown, he gave me but a one word reply: ‘ouch.’
See, instead of tuning everyone out, I prepared them with advance notifications and kept up with course work remotely. When I made my return weeks later, I transitioned perfectly. I was embodying accountability.
Today I stand before you, readying myself for that quote unquote REAL WORLD. The same real world that harbors some of the worst economic times Americans have ever seen. I myself have filled out dozens of applications, been on multiple job interviews, and even had to showcase my writing abilities in the form of a test. Guess those quizzes finally paid off!
While I have not found my job, let alone my career, I remain confident. I have had some of the most wonderful experiences here, and it was in large part because of the Communications Department. What is so unique about our department is our community. Students level with professors and the mutual respect between the two parties is remarkable. To have the kind of one-to-one relationship is increasingly difficult to find in our increasingly cold digital world.
I remain confident because I feel as though I was taught by the best. I hope you believe me when I tell you that you can accomplish anything. Even this semester alone, I never thought I would be able to fit in the time to create a portfolio, let alone a website. Yet, here I am, hawking my website, ChrisSicuranza.com – and this is in large part because of the direction and care I was given from Communications Chairwoman Dr. Judi Cook. The faculty here truly want change for the better in all of us here.
Major changes are taking place all across America. Whether you agree with his policies or not, President Barack Obama embodies a new attitude of hope that we all demand. The moral direction of this country is set anew with our latest administration, inspiring all of us to carry on a message of true progress. A movement like this comes once every generation or so, and you can rest assured that people like you made all the difference in starting that development.
Again, I challenge you new inductees to remain vigilant against sloth, and march toward a more responsible society. Just remember that your journey only really starts tonight. Take on the challenges you see in your community. Be the inspiration that has been absent for so long. As always, strive for true progress, but even more, strive for true accountability.
Packing
April, 19, 2009 02:14 PM
Beautiful Sunday out there! I am about to go enjoy it, but had to stop home first to get some things settled here. I am moving to East Boston with my father in a few weeks and I am consolidating my life. So long 24” iMac, so long HD TV, so long DVR! Ugh, so many things to say goodbye to...
Nevertheless, I am trying to gain some funds and save on money, so it is all for the best. In life, you have to make sacrifices to make true progress. I keep telling myself that I am working toward something... what that is isn’t exactly clear. Am I disrupting my normal flow too much and creating a haphazard environment? Or am I taking the necessary steps toward a more complete and mature self?
Only time will tell, but until then, back to packing!
Nevertheless, I am trying to gain some funds and save on money, so it is all for the best. In life, you have to make sacrifices to make true progress. I keep telling myself that I am working toward something... what that is isn’t exactly clear. Am I disrupting my normal flow too much and creating a haphazard environment? Or am I taking the necessary steps toward a more complete and mature self?
Only time will tell, but until then, back to packing!