Ah
I'm writing this in a mildly drunken state. Its a revamp of the speech I hope to write for the incoming freshman class. I'll probably remove parts of it for PR reasons, but I want to write this now because it is created through a different mindset. My goal is to have no spelling mistakes.
I am writing this speech at around 4:00 A.M. on a warm Houghton summer night, after watching two Indy bands play at a friends house, discussing general potitics, religion, and school with friends of mine, and walking home with people. I'm realizing once again, how much life has changed from highschool. How many of you want to be different from how you were in highschool?
In highschool, I was a very classical 'good student'. I did well in all my classes, I did not oppose the rules, or genenerally call much attention to myself. I graduated with a 4.0, a 1450 in SAT's a 32 in ACT's, and an acceptance to MTU, U of M, and Rose Hullman. I chose MTU largely on a whim...the school was far away and just seemed like something..special. Now, if I had continued on the mindset I had in highschool, I'd probably be just telling you now about how I've had 8 jobs at Michigan tech, I've maintained a an average of a 3.4 GPA, I've changed majors 3 times, and received acceptance into a co-op for this upcoming fall semesester, along with being active in over ten groups on campus. All these things tell you that I'm a decent student, but really they tell you NOTHING about who I am as a person.
As a person...
In the past four years I've also had 8 roommates, 2 of which failed out due to an inability to maintain a combo of school and fun on the side. I've jumped off of 4 high places into water ranging from the local lighthouse to the cliffs near baraga. I HAVE had 8 jobs, ranging from being a coach in the writing center which has left me with a much wider ranger of understanding to my first research job, for the aerospace enterprise. I've watched 500 lbs of thermite explode three times now, and I've seen statues made of ice erected at least 4 times now. I've gotten my first job at this school. I've also QUIT my first job at this school. I've had my first alcoholic drink, gone to my first real party, and walked a number of friends home as a sober driver at this school. I've been a brother in a fraternity, a coach in the writing center, a partner in the MEEM, and a team mate over and over. In highschool, I was introverted, I was shy, and really I had never lived. I feel that I have experienced more in the 3 years I've had at Michigan Tech then I did in the 18 years I had before coming to this school.
What I've told you so far would never have happend if one very important thing had not happend. See, I'm one of the rare out gay men at Michigan Tech. In those same 3 years that I was changing majors and figuring out what sort of job I want, I've also gotten my first kiss from a man, gone on my first date with a man, and experienced the first steps towards finding someone I love that most people go through in highschool. I've spent one very long night wondering if the guy I just asked out would say yes or no...and I spent another very long night about two years later wondering if I should say yes or not to the guy who had just asked me out. In those three years, I've told my closest friends, my parents, and all the people who are important to me that I'm GAY. And I'm proud of it....BUT...I'm also proud of the fact I'm an engineer...tha I'm a student at tech...and that I'm finally comfortable with who I am.
See...thats what being out and gay is all about. Being comfortable with who you are. Being gay, or bisexual, or a lesbian, or transgendered...its not a choice. A person can only be honest with themselves on who they are. Its nearly impossible to fully explain what it means for a person to become comfortable with their sexuality...but just remember. I'm not simply speaking to that minority of you who falls into the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender realm. I'm speaking to all of you. The rest of you fall into the most important section, the A's...the Allies.
I'm not sure what I would have done without my friends Caitlin and Rachel of freshman year. I told them I thought I was gay one late October night...and they were fine with it. They probably think nothing of it now, but at that point in time, how they reacted was the most important thing in the world to me. Their reaction is probalby the difference between me being a good, social, and generally upstanding student at tech, and me being just another statistic. Its the things that people do, whether you decide to not call everything that you think is stupid, 'gay', or you fully accept and support a friend who comes out to you, or you decided to vote in support of homosexual marriage in michigan, these are the things that you ALL do that effects me, other members of the GLBT community, and our future.
So, I leave you wiht the the idea that you will probably change in these next four years. Most of you will not come out as members of the Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community, but you will still change. You'll hopefully grow, mature, find love, lose love. Meet people who you never thought you would...and experience things you never epected. I can only hope that you go into these next four years with open minds and open arms. This college is really more wonderful than you would believe.
Thank you.
Ok that was the mildy drunk version...lets see what I think of it in the morning.
I am writing this speech at around 4:00 A.M. on a warm Houghton summer night, after watching two Indy bands play at a friends house, discussing general potitics, religion, and school with friends of mine, and walking home with people. I'm realizing once again, how much life has changed from highschool. How many of you want to be different from how you were in highschool?
In highschool, I was a very classical 'good student'. I did well in all my classes, I did not oppose the rules, or genenerally call much attention to myself. I graduated with a 4.0, a 1450 in SAT's a 32 in ACT's, and an acceptance to MTU, U of M, and Rose Hullman. I chose MTU largely on a whim...the school was far away and just seemed like something..special. Now, if I had continued on the mindset I had in highschool, I'd probably be just telling you now about how I've had 8 jobs at Michigan tech, I've maintained a an average of a 3.4 GPA, I've changed majors 3 times, and received acceptance into a co-op for this upcoming fall semesester, along with being active in over ten groups on campus. All these things tell you that I'm a decent student, but really they tell you NOTHING about who I am as a person.
As a person...
In the past four years I've also had 8 roommates, 2 of which failed out due to an inability to maintain a combo of school and fun on the side. I've jumped off of 4 high places into water ranging from the local lighthouse to the cliffs near baraga. I HAVE had 8 jobs, ranging from being a coach in the writing center which has left me with a much wider ranger of understanding to my first research job, for the aerospace enterprise. I've watched 500 lbs of thermite explode three times now, and I've seen statues made of ice erected at least 4 times now. I've gotten my first job at this school. I've also QUIT my first job at this school. I've had my first alcoholic drink, gone to my first real party, and walked a number of friends home as a sober driver at this school. I've been a brother in a fraternity, a coach in the writing center, a partner in the MEEM, and a team mate over and over. In highschool, I was introverted, I was shy, and really I had never lived. I feel that I have experienced more in the 3 years I've had at Michigan Tech then I did in the 18 years I had before coming to this school.
What I've told you so far would never have happend if one very important thing had not happend. See, I'm one of the rare out gay men at Michigan Tech. In those same 3 years that I was changing majors and figuring out what sort of job I want, I've also gotten my first kiss from a man, gone on my first date with a man, and experienced the first steps towards finding someone I love that most people go through in highschool. I've spent one very long night wondering if the guy I just asked out would say yes or no...and I spent another very long night about two years later wondering if I should say yes or not to the guy who had just asked me out. In those three years, I've told my closest friends, my parents, and all the people who are important to me that I'm GAY. And I'm proud of it....BUT...I'm also proud of the fact I'm an engineer...tha I'm a student at tech...and that I'm finally comfortable with who I am.
See...thats what being out and gay is all about. Being comfortable with who you are. Being gay, or bisexual, or a lesbian, or transgendered...its not a choice. A person can only be honest with themselves on who they are. Its nearly impossible to fully explain what it means for a person to become comfortable with their sexuality...but just remember. I'm not simply speaking to that minority of you who falls into the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender realm. I'm speaking to all of you. The rest of you fall into the most important section, the A's...the Allies.
I'm not sure what I would have done without my friends Caitlin and Rachel of freshman year. I told them I thought I was gay one late October night...and they were fine with it. They probably think nothing of it now, but at that point in time, how they reacted was the most important thing in the world to me. Their reaction is probalby the difference between me being a good, social, and generally upstanding student at tech, and me being just another statistic. Its the things that people do, whether you decide to not call everything that you think is stupid, 'gay', or you fully accept and support a friend who comes out to you, or you decided to vote in support of homosexual marriage in michigan, these are the things that you ALL do that effects me, other members of the GLBT community, and our future.
So, I leave you wiht the the idea that you will probably change in these next four years. Most of you will not come out as members of the Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community, but you will still change. You'll hopefully grow, mature, find love, lose love. Meet people who you never thought you would...and experience things you never epected. I can only hope that you go into these next four years with open minds and open arms. This college is really more wonderful than you would believe.
Thank you.
Ok that was the mildy drunk version...lets see what I think of it in the morning.