You must believe in yourself and in your work. When our first Batman movie broke all those box-office records, I received a phone call from that United Artists exec who, years before, had told me I was out of my mind. Now he said, “Michael, Im just calling to congratulate you on the success of Batman. I always said you were a visionary.” You see the point here — dont believe them when they tell you how bad you are or how terrible your ideas are, but also, dont believe them when they tell you how wonderful you are and how great your ideas are. Just believe in yourself and youll do just fine. And, oh yes, dont then forget to market yourself and your ideas. Use both sides of your brain.
You must have a high threshold for frustration. Take it from the guy who was turned down by every studio in Hollywood. You must knock on doors until your knuckles bleed. Doors will slam in your face. You must pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and knock again. Its the only way to achieve your goals in life.
Dear faculty members, distinguished guests, families, friends and most importantly, today’s graduates:
Good morning!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you here on behalf of the graduates. This is a memorable day both in our personal lives and in the life of this school.
Four years ago, we entered Sanjing university. Some of us may have doubted that if we had made the right decision, but now, because of the friends we made , because of the sadness and happiness we shared, because of the teachers who gave us guidance, because of all the time in Sanjiang we spent and all activities we participated in, we could not tear ourselves away from the dear campus. It’s difficult to contemplate that perhaps some of us may never see each other again. But we have so rich memeries and experiences that we will never foget each other.
Today we enter the real world to face the challenge .With the knowledge and friends we gained from our university, with the endurance, perseverance, industry we possess, every obstacle that we may encounter in our lives will be overcome. I believe that everyone will make every effort to strive for our life. And remember, an ideal job is not found lying in the street; it takes time and effort to find. But in the end, it will be there for you. So don’t settle for second best and keep looking.
Importantly, We are here today to give our thanks to the unconditional support of each of you, your words of encouragement in good times and your words of consolation in difficult moments. We thank you for your enormous patience with us, for always giving a little more than we asked for and for instilling in us the values and principles that govern our lives now and helping us to become the people we are. The degree that we will receive today also belongs to you.
Last, I would like to congratulate each of you for having reached this goal. We did it, and now we are ready to graduate!
Opportunities and Challenges
First, I would like to know, what does your destiny offer you? Happiness, wisdom, a strong body or something else. If I had asked this question to president Nixon, he would probably had said,”Our destiny offers not the cup of despair, but the chalice of opportunity.”
Needless to say, one of the biggest opportunities given to China is the 2008 Olympic Games. Till now, we have used two sevenths of the preparation time. How much changes have you seen? New roads, new subway lines, public-exercising equipments with beautiful colors, large blocks of grass fields, and also lots of modern gyms which are under construction.
Other than those, there are even more good effects brought to us by the Olympic Games that cannot be seen directly. For example, more and more people will get to know China. I’m sure the mysterious Chinese culture will attract them strongly. And the games will also do good to the economy and environment, for it is gaining the attention of foreign investors and the awareness of environmental protection is being strengthened. What is more, Olympic Games give a unique opportunity to inspire and educate a new generation of Chinese youth with the Olympic values and the Olympic spirit. Now that we have seen so many advances, could you even imagine us losing the holding rights?
I’ve already said a lot about the Olympics and China. But I think everyone should use some time to think of this question, ”Does the Olympic Games have any special meaning to you?”
For us, I mean the Chinese youth, 2008 Olympic Games is a tremendous gift. Because what we are waiting for is to do something significant as repaying the love given to us .The society is just like a ship, and in our dreams the captain is waving his hand and saying ”Hey! Come here and take the helm! ”How charming his voice is, but we have never heard of it in our true life. This morning, however, when we wake up, we will see the Olympic Games waving its hand. After chewing, most of us will have at least one plan about what to do for the Olympic Games. And mine is to be a “comforter” ----that is someone who will give comfort to others.
At the end of my speech, I hope all the preparation will go well, and everyone will show their ability to the world. Let us seize opportunities and give a big smile to challenges.
My dear Mr. and Misses, my fellows schoolmates.
Good morning! As you know and see, it is a sunny bump harvest season. In the city, in our school campus, everywhere is surrounded with roses which we together planted 4 years ago. Today may these roses and our friendship as well be together and comfort our excited hearts!
It was four years ago that everyone of us came from every part of China and formed a new collective. As we are young, it’s very easy for us to communicate. It was in the past four years that we were ambitious. It was in the past four years that we worried. It was in the past four years that we were content. It was in the past four years that we were vexed. It was in the past four years that we were friendly and lonely ... and it was in the past fours that we studied, lived and respected each other with genuine and with our ambitions. Nothing in the world is more significant than we miss all of these.
We miss you─teachers who are tireless in teaching; we will keep your gestures and your white hairs in our hearts deeply; we will miss the quietness with the lights at night in the classroom; we will miss the race and exercise on the playground; we will miss even the crowds in the dining hall and the quarrel on the beds; we will still miss every green piece and every piece of waste paper flying like flakes in the air ... However, today we will leave nothing but the first rose with our Alma Mater and our teachers which is entrusted with our love and respect.
4 years seems very long but 4 years seems very short. From now on, we all will go into the society. The society is broad and wide for us. We will shoulder heavy responsibilities; we will work diligently; and we will expect to be informed of good news from one another. Now, I beg you all to cherish the occasion; to remember the names, the status, appearance and the character of the person around you. Now let’s be hand in hand together; let’s present the rose to each other. May the rose carry our appreciation and blessing! We are very closely linked no matter what the world may be. May the fresh rose in our hands keep its fragrants!
Thank you all again!
president clinton:
thank you. thank you, president chen, chairmen ren, vice president chi, vice minister wei. we are delighted to be here today with a very large american delegation, including the first lady and our daughter, who is a student at stanford, one of the schools with which beijing university has a relationship. we have six members of the united states congress; the secretary of state; secretary of commerce; the secretary of agriculture; the chairman of our council of economic advisors; senator sasser, our ambassador; the national security advisor and my chief of staff, among others. i say that to illustrate the importance that the united states places on our relationship with china.
i would like to begin by congratulating all of you, the students, the faculty, the administrators, on celebrating the centennial year of your university. gongxi, beida. (applause.)
as im sure all of you know, this campus was once home to yenching university which was founded by american missionaries. many of its wonderful buildings were designed by an american architect. thousands of americans students and professors have come here to study and teach. we feel a special kinship with you.
i am, however, grateful that this day is different in one important respect from another important occasion 79 years ago. in june of 1919, the first president of yenching university, john leighton stuart, was set to deliver the very first commencement address on these very grounds. at the appointed hour, he appeared, but no students appeared. they were all out leading the may 4th movement for chinas political and cultural renewal. when i read this, i hoped that when i walked into the auditorium today, someone would be sitting here. and i thank you for being here, very much. (applause.)
over the last 100 years, this university has grown to more than 20,000 students. your graduates are spread throughout china and around the world. you have built the largest university library in all of asia. last year, 20 percent of your graduates went abroad to study, including half of your math and science majors. and in this anniversary year, more than a million people in china, asia, and beyond have logged on to your web site. at the dawn of a new century, this university is leading china into the future.
i come here today to talk to you, the next generation of chinas leaders, about the critical importance to your future of building a strong partnership between china and the united states.
the american people deeply admire china for its thousands of years of contributions to culture and religion, to philosophy and the arts, to science and technology. we remember well our strong partnership in world war ii. now we see china at a moment in history when your glorious past is matched by your present sweeping transformation and the even greater promise of your future.
just three decades ago, china was virtually shut off from the world. now, china is a member of more than 1,000 international organizations -- enterprises that affect everything from air travel to agricultural development. you have opened your nation to trade and investment on a large scale. today, 40,000 young chinese study in the united states, with hundreds of thousands more learning in asia, africa, europe, and latin america.
your social and economic transformation has been even more remarkable, moving from a closed command economic system to a driving, increasingly market-based and driven economy, generating two decades of unprecedented growth, giving people greater freedom to travel within and outside china, to vote in village elections, to own a home, choose a job, attend a better school. as a result you have lifted literally hundreds of millions of people from poverty. per capita income has more than doubled in the last decade. most chinese people are leading lives they could not have imagined just 20 years ago.
of course, these changes have also brought disruptions in settled patterns of life and work, and have imposed enormous strains on your environment. once every urban chinese was guaranteed employment in a state enterprise. now you must compete in a job market. once a chinese worker had only to meet the demands of a central planner in beijing. now the global economy means all must match the quality and creativity of the rest of the world. for those who lack the right training and skills and support, this new world can be daunting.