Student surprised by humility, personality of CBS news anchor
Stewart Smith
Issue date: 4/20/04 Section: Campus News
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So the 125th anniversary of the university is now upon us, and like any big event it inevitably has big names attached to it, making it all the more memorable. Dan Rather was the guest of honor last Friday, and I was fortunate enough to not only hear his address to the university that morning in the Beto Criminal Justice Center's Killinger Auditorium, but I was also privileged enough to be chosen as one of the students who would participate in a private Q&A session with "the hardest working man in journalism" later that afternoon.
It was an interesting situation prior to Mr. Rather's arrival at his old stomping grounds. I had only recently learned that I was eligible to take part in the aforementioned Q&A session and in my excitement I began to tell my friends about it. Many of them were apathetic towards his arrival, some even annoyed that so much emphasis and attention was being paid to this man who they had preemptively deemed "boring." Whatever. I didn't care. I was getting the chance to meet one of the most respected, experienced men in my field of work.
So it's Friday morning, and there I am sitting front and center of the Killinger Auditorium, waiting for Mr. Rather (or Dan, as he requested we call him later that afternoon) to take the stage. Though extensive preparations had been made to compensate for a gross overflow of people coming to hear him speak, the auditorium was hardly filled to capacity. He arrived onstage to a lively round of applause and took the podium after a brief introduction by President Gaertner. What followed was something that made skipping both my classes that day so very worthwhile.
At the start of his talk, I was surprised. I'm not exactly sure why, but I wasn't quite expecting him to be as soft spoken as he is. He spoke on mistakes, and how essential they are to making oneself better. Mistakes are not to be frowned upon, but instead are an almost welcomed part of life and how determination and self-less ambition is the key to success. His "ten magic words" for success in life were: "If it is to be, it is up to me." He encouraged students "to dream dreams, but to find ways to accomplish those dreams and not just keep dreaming."
It was an interesting situation prior to Mr. Rather's arrival at his old stomping grounds. I had only recently learned that I was eligible to take part in the aforementioned Q&A session and in my excitement I began to tell my friends about it. Many of them were apathetic towards his arrival, some even annoyed that so much emphasis and attention was being paid to this man who they had preemptively deemed "boring." Whatever. I didn't care. I was getting the chance to meet one of the most respected, experienced men in my field of work.
So it's Friday morning, and there I am sitting front and center of the Killinger Auditorium, waiting for Mr. Rather (or Dan, as he requested we call him later that afternoon) to take the stage. Though extensive preparations had been made to compensate for a gross overflow of people coming to hear him speak, the auditorium was hardly filled to capacity. He arrived onstage to a lively round of applause and took the podium after a brief introduction by President Gaertner. What followed was something that made skipping both my classes that day so very worthwhile.
At the start of his talk, I was surprised. I'm not exactly sure why, but I wasn't quite expecting him to be as soft spoken as he is. He spoke on mistakes, and how essential they are to making oneself better. Mistakes are not to be frowned upon, but instead are an almost welcomed part of life and how determination and self-less ambition is the key to success. His "ten magic words" for success in life were: "If it is to be, it is up to me." He encouraged students "to dream dreams, but to find ways to accomplish those dreams and not just keep dreaming."