MacInsiders Logo

Similar Threads
Article Article Starter Category Comments Last Post
Goodbye ELM! aaront Academics 41 04-04-2010 11:42 PM
Goodbye Elm... Chad MacInsiders Announcements 0 03-30-2010 10:38 PM
Goodbye WebCT Infinity General Discussion 72 09-11-2009 05:09 PM
Message From Ryan Moran RyMo ARCHIVES 54 03-15-2008 11:37 PM
Ryan Moran wins MSU Prez Chad MacInsiders Announcements 0 02-09-2007 11:00 PM

MacInsiders TV - Ryan Moran Says Goodbye

 
MacInsiders TV: Ryan Moran Says Goodbye


Published by
Chad's Avatar
MacInsiders Founder/Admin
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,120

Article Tools

Deleted Post
Old 04-18-2008 at 12:30 PM   #2
Chad
MacInsiders Founder/Admin
Chad's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Chad
Program: Communication Studies & Multimedia
Year: Alumni
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,120

Thanked: 1,203 Times
Liked: 1,731 Times
Ryans Farewell:

Download the original attachment

I delivered the following speech last week at Student Recognition Night. Rather than write something new I felt as though this properly encapsulated the thoughts I’d like to impart as I teeter ever closer to the end of my term. I thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to serve you as President and hope, that if nothing else, I was able to at least meet expectations. As always I will be available anytime and for whatever you need until April 30th. Come May 1st, I wish Azim Kasmani, next year’s MSU Board, and all of you, the students of McMaster, the best of luck next year and with whatever you endeavour to do beyond these ivory walls.

My favourite book starts off with the narrator stating “In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I have been turning over in my mind ever since.” Well, among all the advice that both my parents have imparted to me over time, I too can identify a moment in my more vulnerable years when my mother gave me some advice that I have been turning over in my mind ever since.”

Like any angsty teenager, I was seemingly, incurably unhappy at high school. In what might have been a last ditch attempt to change that mind set, my mom told me that “almost never again, will you have the chance to walk down a hall and see so many faces you know, whether friendly or not, that are all going through the same thing at the same time as you.”

Miraculously, somehow that worked, I began to really get involved, to enjoy the company of those around me and even appreciate the school, even to the point of being sad to leave it upon graduation.

Upon coming to Mac I was unhappy again, it was, sorry to say, my last choice. I didn’t enjoy nor did I take part in my welcome week, I lived in Bates, and half my friends abandoned me to other schools while another good portion abandoned me to SOCS. Not to mention, coming in the same year that Van Wilder came out, every guy was competing to be the Van Wilder of McMaster. Seriously, it gets pretty annoying when you hear the phrase “write that down” as much as I did that year. Either way, I turned inside myself again, had no desire to get involved, wanted to focus purely on my studies, and even looked into transferring to another school, or at least exchange programs.

However, as I said, the advice kept turning over in my mind, slowly I began to come back out, with each person I met came interests to explore with them, and with each exploration, came the meeting of more people. Finding a sort of first year niche group of friends, I got involved with SOCS, and when you open one door, more tend to appear. From SOCS, for example, may have come SRA, and from that maybe the Sil, and MacGreen, and Clubs, and so on across anything that I took interest or involvement in, so came additional opportunities, additional doors.

The most important thing to note, in this story that I am sure is no different from most people’s in this room or at this school, is that though the first courageous steps towards doing anything must come from you, the support, the momentum, and the motivation to continue comes from those around you. People, whether close or distant, and those faces that you, and I, just like in high school, see so many of as we walk down the halls of McMaster and know that no matter what faculty, or how old, we’re all going through such similar things at the same times.

I remember a speaker at a welcome week training day a couple years ago telling reps that everything you need to have an amazing University experience is already here, all it needs is you, and as true as that is, I think it is also true to say that all anyone else at this school needs is you too. You are needed to be there, to encourage, to motivate, to open doors, or at least to attract them to what could maybe become their life’s great interest by simply speaking to them at a club’s table some random Monday morning in the MUSC.

Maybe if reps had been there to greet me back in 2002 at the Bates parking lot I might have taken a sooner interest in what McMaster offered, but there weren’t. Nevertheless, I still got involved, and I do have many people to thank for that, whether its my amazing girlfriend, or the legendary Peter “Topo” Topalovic, or countless more, many of whom are in this room and still at this school, I got involved and because of them, and you, I stayed involved. Thanks to others I endeavoured to challenge myself, to put myself out there and to take on things I would not have considered otherwise.

And that’s the power we hold with one another, the incredible ability to invest in each other, the necessary capacity to empower our fellow students.

This year, though not without its challenges, has been an amazing year for the MSU and for McMaster students, and much of that has to do with so many people both in and outside of this room, helping each other, believing in each other, and empowering each other. And if nothing else it has been an unforgettable year for me, and the reason is because of you. Everything that this year has been has been because of you, the students of McMaster. My great MSU board of directors and myself have all you to thank for so much. So, thank you.


Next year there will be more challenges, and if history is any precedence, some may very well be the same challenges as years before. What will make the difference is how we, or rather, you, as students and student leaders of McMaster work with each other, recognize similarities, accept differences, and support each other.

As student leaders, we may, and, as my favourite book concludes, “we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” But never, at any time do we have to do it alone.

“Write that down.”
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 04-19-2008 at 04:29 PM   #3
lorend
MacInsiders VP
lorend's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Danielle
Program: BA (Hons) CSCT and Anthropology, BA (Hons) English & Indigenous Studies
Year: Alumni
Residence: Whidden
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,615

Thanked: 913 Times
Liked: 507 Times
:(

We're going to miss you Ryan!
__________________
McMaster Combined Honours Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Anthropology: 2008
McMaster Honours English with a minor in Indigenous Studies: 2010
Carleton University Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies: 2012 (expected)

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement



  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 04-24-2008 at 01:35 AM   #4
sarahsweet
Senior Member
sarahsweet's Avatar
Real name: Sarah
Faculty: Science
Year: Other
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 105

Thanked: 10 Times
Liked: 13 Times
I love when you zoom in on the rat. hahahaha! Hillarious
  Deleted Post Deleted Post


Old 04-24-2008 at 10:25 AM   #5
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
kokosas's Avatar
Real name: Sabrina
Program: English and Classics
Year: Third
Residence: Edwards
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times
You're a great president Ryan! I will miss you!
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 06-08-2008 at 11:33 AM   #6
joset2
Member
joset2's Avatar
Real name: tulsi
Program: Pharmacology
Year: Third
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 88

Thanked: Thanked 2 Times
Liked: 0 Times
Ryan was the so friendly and welcoming to students...he was the perfect one to take over the equally best popham.... wish u all the best ryan!!!!!
__________________
Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.........
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 06-08-2008 at 07:48 PM   #7
lorend
MacInsiders VP
lorend's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Danielle
Program: BA (Hons) CSCT and Anthropology, BA (Hons) English & Indigenous Studies
Year: Alumni
Residence: Whidden
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,615

Thanked: 913 Times
Liked: 507 Times
Ryan was WAY better than Popham.
__________________
McMaster Combined Honours Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Anthropology: 2008
McMaster Honours English with a minor in Indigenous Studies: 2010
Carleton University Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies: 2012 (expected)

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement



  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 06-08-2008 at 10:56 PM   #8
joset2
Member
joset2's Avatar
Real name: tulsi
Program: Pharmacology
Year: Third
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 88

Thanked: Thanked 2 Times
Liked: 0 Times
I can never compare ryan and popham because I think they are unique in their own ways...I admit pophams administration had some run down issues with finance but that happend with election buff during ryans times...they were really student freindly and great to work with!!!!!
__________________
Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.........
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 06-08-2008 at 11:36 PM   #9
lorend
MacInsiders VP
lorend's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Danielle
Program: BA (Hons) CSCT and Anthropology, BA (Hons) English & Indigenous Studies
Year: Alumni
Residence: Whidden
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,615

Thanked: 913 Times
Liked: 507 Times
Ryan made sure he spent time with students and talked to them, regardless of if he was friends or acquiantences of them or not.

I was a Bates rep for two years. Popham completely ignored us during Welcome Week when he saw us in the building, and he made little to no effort to talk to anyone in Bates the year he was there. Ryan on the other hand talked to the Bates reps, was involved in Bates' WW, and was involved in other Bates events throughout the year.
__________________
McMaster Combined Honours Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Anthropology: 2008
McMaster Honours English with a minor in Indigenous Studies: 2010
Carleton University Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies: 2012 (expected)

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement



  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 06-09-2008 at 05:49 AM   #10
joset2
Member
joset2's Avatar
Real name: tulsi
Program: Pharmacology
Year: Third
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 88

Thanked: Thanked 2 Times
Liked: 0 Times
i met both ryan and popham for horizons .... you maybe right... but personally...I can never pick a favv....both of them were awesome and they still dont forget to stop by and say hi!!!!!!hehehehehe... but u r right.,..I did see ryan always wth students.....
__________________
Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.........
  Deleted Post Deleted Post



Article Tools Search this Article
Search this Article:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new articles
You may not post comments
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



McMaster University News and Information, Student-run Community, with topics ranging from Student Life, Advice, News, Events, and General Help.
Notice: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the student(s) who authored the content. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by McMaster University or the MSU (McMaster Students Union). Being a student-run community, all articles and discussion posts on MacInsiders are unofficial and it is therefore always recommended that you visit the official McMaster website for the most accurate up-to-date information.

Copyright © MacInsiders.com All Rights Reserved. No content can be re-used or re-published without permission. MacInsiders is a service of Fullerton Media Inc. | Created by Chad
Originally Powered by vBulletin®, Copyright © 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba vBulletin. All rights reserved. | Privacy | Terms