Michael W. Silverman, 2-5-2009, Page 1 Today, just as The Who has sung so many times before, I am talking about my generation. Us. The proverbial and collective we in this room. And while some of you may not realize what it means to be part of whatever name so called sociological experts have bestowed upon us as a generation, it is my goal that by the end of this speech you will fully comprehend the importance of being a member of Generation Awesome. (Generation Awesome is my own work and may or may not be in the process of being copyrighted.) But first, if I may, let me back up and illuminate what roles the generations before us have played in history because only then can you realize just how important Generation Awesome truly is. According to William Strauss and Neil Howe and their book The Fourth Turning, there are basically four different generations that cycle throughout history every eighty years. First in the most recent cycle is the Heroic Generation, born between 1901 and 1924. This generation came of age during some of the most traumatic times of the 20th century. They grew up learning about the First World War and then had to actually fight the Second, they knew of limitless prosperity during the Roaring Twenties and similarly felt the limitless despair of the Great Depression in their twenties and thirties. These turbulent times in American history molded this generation into a group of men and women who were generally civic minded, optimistic, and willing to do the right thing even at great hardship to themselves. This generation, through their hard work and sacrifice, paved the way for future generations to live in times of peace and economic affluence. The next generation in the cycle, deemed the Artistic Generation, was born between 1924-1942, just as the Heroic Generation came of age and began to battle the Michael W. Silverman, 2-5-2009, Page 2 many hardships of the day. As a result, the great majority of them were overprotected by their parents, and due to their age, most were unable to help their parents solve the issues the country constantly faced. While they grew up to be a relatively “strong and silent” generation, the next generation would grow up to be almost a polar opposite. The Prophet Generation was born from 1943-1960 and to us it is more commonly known as the Boomer Generation. Due to the previous generation’s desire to overprotect and give their kids all the things they never had, this generation largely turned out to be cunning, materialistic, and self- righteous. In other words, this is the group that would later end up becoming the Yuppies that we all know and love. These are the people who cut us off in the cars they can’t afford and flip out when the barista at Starbucks forgets their 8th shot of espresso in their 30 syllable coffee. In turn, The Boomer Generation is responsible for the fourth generation in the cycle, deemed the Nomad Generation, or Generation X, which was born between 1961 and 1981. While their parents were busy enjoying the ‘60s, the Nomad Generation became the most under protected of all four generations. And, as a result, they became the toughest and most practical yet. Right about now, you are probably wondering why I am telling you all of this. Why would I bother informing you of the laudable qualities of the Heroic Generation, or the strong and silent Artistic Generation, or the free-spirited Prophet Generation, or the savvy Nomadic Generation? Well, while my point is simple in concept, it is monumental in meaning. Michael W. Silverman, 2-5-2009, Page 3 If history is any indication, I believe the cycle is about to repeat itself and we are about to become the next Heroic Generation. This Heroic Generation was born during the years 1981-2001. Our Generation was, once again, born in a time of limitless prosperity. We were born when the internet boom was in its prime, unemployment was at a record low, the Soviet Union was dead and buried, and the United States emerged as the world’s sole superpower. Then, just as in the previous cycle, trouble began to brew. In the last decade, calamity after calamity has occurred seemingly without pause. September 11th, wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans, astronomically high commodity prices, the bus bombings in England, the terror attacks in Mumbai, the realization that global warming may just be true, and, most recently, the 2008 and likely 2009 global economic crisis in which trillions of dollars of wealth have already been erased. While these events were, and continue to be, catastrophic, they can also be viewed as immense opportunities. If we, just as our great grandparents did, choose to sacrifice today so that our children can enjoy a better tomorrow, we can rebuild our world and make it better, faster and stronger. We have the technology, we have the energy, and, if one but takes a look at this year’s senior class, we sure as hell have the intelligence and pragmatism to do it. My aim today is not to impress upon you the many challenges we face, but to elucidate the numerous opportunities that we now have. Just as our grandparents were part of the Greatest Generation, if we so choose, we can become the Greenest Generation and solve global warming and our dependence on imported and domestic sources of fuel that not only harm the environment but our financial security as well. We Michael W. Silverman, 2-5-2009, Page 4 can choose to become the Bravest Generation by refusing to initiate an armed conflict while at the same time answering the call when attacked from abroad. We can choose to become the Toughest Generation by reducing the amount of debt we owe the world instead of easily adding to the bill that our children will surely have to pay. Or, we could choose another path, one that combines the best of the generations I just mentioned and the ones that went unspoken. We could rise up and claim our place as Generation Awesome, excelling in every area we choose and vanquishing the challenges that currently plague humanity. While some of you may wonder whether what I have just stated is possible, none of you should question your position in history. There is no doubt in my mind that we are a Heroic Generation, we must simply aspire to earn the title. In a message seemingly issued to our generation, Al Gore remarked last November in an editorial with the New York Times that, “In an earlier transformative era in American history, President John F. Kennedy challenged our nation to land a man on the moon within 10 years. Eight years and two months later, Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface. The average age of the systems engineers cheering on Apollo 11 from the Houston control room that day was 26, which means that their average age when President Kennedy announced the challenge was 18.” This is our time. Never again will we get this chance. If we do not rise up and claim our rightful place as the Heroic Generation of this century, there is no guarantee that the next generation will. I stand before you today, unafraid of the future, and ready for the opportunities and challenges to come. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, I will pay Michael W. Silverman, 2-5-2009, Page 5 any price, bear any burden, and meet any hardship to claim my place in the Heroic Generation that I deem Generation Awesome. Ladies and Gentlemen, Will you join me?