On May 12, 2007, Purdue University President, Martin C. Jischke addressed the graduating class with his commencement speech. In his vocalizations he elaborated on how many smiling faces he saw sitting before him. He then congratulated them with honor and praise. Informing them that the University is designed to be very difficult and to expand their abilities to show them just how far they can go. He also informed them that this graduating class is very significant because that summer he was retiring as president.
As the speech went on he started getting into his college experience and how after forty-eight years of higher education it was time for a change. He then told the graduates that about how he was the first person to graduate college in his family, and how proud his parents were, but he then states that this is not about him. That he just represents just one of many millions of Americans whose lives have changed because of the education process. He then gets into the main idea of the speech. “Our graduates today are living a promise that was first identified by and American historian named James Truslow Adams. ”
Mr. Adams was known for the term “The American Dream. ” The term was introduced in 1931, when the great depression took place. Eight million people were without jobs. That’s when James Adams wrote “The American Dream is the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It’s not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of birth or position. He then explains what the American Dream means to him. Former Purdue President Martin C. Jischke is a well educated man. His knowledge of the subject is very moving. He used a lot of quotations and spectacular detail of personal experiences from Thomas Jefferson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Brook Atkinson, and most importantly James Truslow Adams. He took word for word context and related it to today’s group of graduates. In his speech he used a variety of terms and word choices. You can just tell that he is a man of higher education. He has taken his education very seriously and it shows in his composition.
You can pick out any phrase or sentence and it’s self evident that his vocabulary is profound. Such as “Ultimately, you are the American Dream, this class of 2007. You are the culmination of all the dreams of all the people who have dreamed before you. ” His words just flow together like a river soft and smooth. It is very clear that he is a man of words, a man of higher education. In the speech he has many broad points. But the main topic simply can not be missed. The American Dream can be defined in many different ways, but former President Martin C. Jischke said it best: “But I believe the American Dream is not merely success.
The American Dream is not the attainment of riches. It is not fame. The American Dream is opportunity. And when coupled with desire and hard work, opportunity can fulfill all our greatest dreams. ” With that being said I think Mr. Jischke hit it right on. The American Dream is what you want it to be. It’s the outcome of the goals one sets for themselves. The American Dream is you, and how you go day in and day out doing what broadens your horizons. In conclusion Mr. Jischke made a terrific commencement speech that touched the lives of thousands sitting before him.
He talked about the American Dream, and how it has made Americans who they are today. He stated what the American Dream meant to him and how it came about in 1931 during the Great Depression. He made personal references about how the education process has made him into the man he is today. But most importantly he expressed his emotional gratitude to his graduates, family and friends. In closing he stated: “You are our American Dream for a better tomorrow. ” And by that he means you’re dreams can only be attained by the character you keep, and how much your dreams mean to you. For it is only you that can make it happen.
