[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10454-10455]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                     VIRGINIA TECH'S CLASS OF 2000

 Mr. WARNER. Last month, I had the privilege of addressing the 
graduating class at Virginia Tech University. During the commencement 
ceremony, three Virginia Tech students, Class President Lauren Esleeck, 
Graduate Student Representative Timothy Wayne Mays, and Class Treasurer 
Rush K. Middleton, addressed the graduating class and those in 
attendance. The speeches given by these three students were so eloquent 
and so inspiring, that I felt it was important to share them with my 
colleagues in the United States Senate and with the people of the 
United States.
  To date, I have been able to obtain copies of Ms. Esleeck's speech 
and Mr. Middleton's speech. It is my pleasure to ask that these 
speeches be inserted into the Congressional Record.
  The speeches follow:

              Speech of Rush K. Middleton, Class Treasurer

       Only July 4th, 1939, Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with a 
     terminal illness that would cripple and kill him in the prime 
     of his life, stood before 60,000 adoring fans at Yankee 
     Stadium and proclaimed, ``I consider myself the luckiest man 
     on the face of the earth.''
       How could a man who was so surely facing death profess that 
     he was more blessed than those who sat around him and viewed 
     their own deaths as nothing more than a distant shadow. The 
     answer is quite simple: Lou Gehrig did not measure his 
     fortune by the number of home runs he hit, the number of 
     games he played, or the sum of money he earned. Instead, 
     confronting his own mortality, he calculated the worth of his 
     life by the people that surrounded him. For, unlike the 
     countless tangible rewards and honors that were bestowed upon 
     him, the friendships and relationships he established would 
     not perish with his physical passing.
       How does the Class of 2000 want to measure its worth? Do we 
     wish to be defined by the jobs that we accept, the salaries 
     we earn, or the number of promotions we receive? Or would we 
     rather be characterized by the unbreakable bonds that we 
     established with the people around us? I would challenge our 
     Class to pursue the latter. My challenge is this: That we 
     should leave this amazing institution with high expectations 
     of what we will accomplish in our years as alumni. That we 
     remain true to VPI's motto of Ut Prosim, ``That I may 
     serve,'' honorably serving our community, our family, our 
     church, and our alma mater. Let us remember that we have but 
     one chance on earth to dedicate ourselves to the task of 
     helping our fellow man. If we give of ourselves, we give the 
     most appreciated gift, and the one gift which no sum of money 
     can possibly buy.
       As we pen these final lines in the collegiate chapters of 
     our lives, surrounded by family, friends, faculty, and peers, 
     let us remember that we should strive to define ourselves by 
     these relationships, and not by those material items that 
     will surely fade into our past. If we can accomplish this 
     goal, we can say with confidence, just as Lou Gehrig did, 
     that we are luckiest people on the face of the earth. God 
     bless each one of you, and God bless Virginia Tech. Thank 
     You.
                                  ____


               Speech of Lauren Esleeck, Class President

       Today, we are here in celebration of a truly significant 
     occasion and may I begin by saying, ``Congratulations''.
       The Class of 2000 Motto is ``With Honor there is Power, 
     with Character there is Strength.'' Recently our Class 
     bestowed a gift to Virginia Tech which certainly reflects 
     this theme. The Class of 2000 has chosen to present the 
     university with a new mace, symbolizing the power and 
     strength Virginia Tech has achieved through both her honor 
     and character. During the Founder's Day celebration the Class 
     of 2000 presented Dr. Charles Steger with the new mace 
     immediately following his installation as President of 
     Virginia Tech. Our university's mace has long been a symbol 
     of our tradition of excellence and our Class is fortunate to 
     have contributed a gift to Virginia Tech which will ensure 
     this tradition continues. The new mace, created by Steve 
     Bickley, is resting here on stage. It is a gold-plated 
     contemporary design bearing 3 different seals of the 
     university:
       The official university seal affixed to Hokiestone;
       The centennial seal from 1972; and
       The earliest seal of the university--dating back to 1872.
       It also includes 8 spires representing each of the pylons.
       Thank you the Class of 2000 for such a tremendous gift.
       During this time of excitement and celebration, I have 2 
     wishes for the Class of 2000. I hope that:
       1. We view our Class motto not as a statement, but as a 
     goal;
       2. That we be humble.
       Again, the Class of 2000 Motto is, ``With Honor there is 
     Power, with Character there is Strength.''
       I encourage you to view our motto not as a statement, but 
     as a goal because I hope that we strive to achieve personal 
     strength and power by developing both our character and 
     honor.
       Character. Please allow me to borrow some thoughts on the 
     importance of character from General Charles Krulak of the 
     U.S. Marine Corp. Character is the moral courage that is 
     within each of us. Everyday we have to make decisions. It is 
     through this decision making process that we show those 
     around us the quality of our character. The majority of 
     decisions we make are ``no brainers.'' Deciding whether to 
     eat at West End Market or Owens is not going to test your 
     character. . . . judgment maybe, but not character. The true 
     test of character comes when the stakes are high, when the 
     chips are down, when your gut starts to turn, when you know 
     the decision you are about to make may not be popular, but it 
     is to be made. That's when your true character is exposed.
       Success in life has always demanded a depth of character. 
     Those who can reach deep within themselves and draw upon an 
     inner strength, fortified by strong values, always carry the 
     day against those of lesser character.
       Honor. Honor is captured by two essential ingredients--
     honesty and integrity. I hope that we may each find the 
     courage to be not only true to others, but also true to 
     ourselves--a far more difficult challenge. Such uninhibited 
     self-evaluation will provide endless opportunities for 
     personal growth and development.
       Perhaps the most important determinant of integrity is work 
     ethic. Hard work and determination have earned us the degrees 
     we celebrate today. A wise man once said, ``It is amazing how 
     many people who work very hard are damn lucky.'' While hard 
     work may often go unrecognized, it will undoubtedly further 
     one's integrity. Both integrity and honesty are essential to 
     achieving honor. Likewise, both honor and character are 
     essential to achieving power and strength.
       My second and final wish is that we may each be humble.
       Two of the simplest words in the English language are too 
     often forgotten. Thank you. At a time when it is also 
     appropriate to offer thanks. None of us have walked this 
     journey

[[Page 10455]]

     alone. Whether it's your parents who offered financial 
     support, the coach who served as a father figure, the 
     professor who spent the extra time, the unknown person was 
     created the scholarship you received, the friends who offered 
     unending support, or the organizations which provided the 
     opportunity for personal growth. When someone says 
     ``congratualtions'' we should each respond with ``Thank 
     You,'' thanking those who have allowed us to achieve our 
     goals.
       Thank You.

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