Re: UKNM: Fresh Minds

[Fiona Campbell-Howes]

Funnily enough this arrived in my inbox at exactly the same time as

Charlie's mail...


......................................


I thought you would get a kick out of this speech that Larry Ellison (Oracle

CEO) gave at Yale University to the Graduating class of 2000

What follows is a transcript of the speech delivered by Ellison at Yale

University last month:


"Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of

prologue before, but I want you to do something for me. Please, take

a good look around you. Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the

classmate on your right. Now, consider this: five years from now, 10

years from now, even 30 thirty years from now, odds are the person on your

left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile,

will also be a loser. And you, in the middle? What can you expect?


Loser. Loserhood. Loser Cum Laude.


In fact, as I look out before me today, I don't see a thousand hopes for a

bright tomorrow. I don't see a thousand future leaders in a thousand

industries. I see a thousand losers. You're upset. That's understandable.

After all, how can I, Lawrence "Larry" Ellison, college dropout, have the

audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's

most prestigious institutions? I'll tell you why. Because I, Lawrence

"Larry" Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college dropout, and

you are not.


Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet-for now anyway-is a college

dropout, and you are not. Because Paul Allen, the third richest

man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not. And for good

measure, because Michael Dell, No. 9 on the list and moving up

fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not.


Hmm ... you're very upset. That's understandable. So let me stroke your egos

for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, that your diplomas

were not attained in vain.


Most of you, I imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways

what you've learned and endured will

serve you well in the years ahead. You've established good work habits.

You've established a network of people that will help you down the road.

And you've established what will be lifelong relationships with the word

"therapy." All that of is good. For in truth, you will need that network.

You will need those strong work habits. You will need that therapy. You will

need them because you didn't drop out, and so you will never be among the

richest people in the world. Oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to

#10 or #11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don't have to tell you who he

really works for, do I? And for the record, he dropped out of grad school.

Bit of a late bloomer.


Finally, I realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, are

wondering, "Is there anything I can do? Is there any hope for me at

all?" Actually, no. It's too late. You've absorbed too much, think you know

too much. You're not 19 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I'm

not referring to the mortarboards on your heads. Hmm ... you're really very

upset. That's understandable.


So perhaps this would be a good time to bring up the silver lining. Not for

you, Class of '00. You are a write-off, so I'll let you slink off to your

pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your checks will be signed by former

classmates who dropped out two years ago.


Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmen here today. I say to you,

and I can't stress this enough: leave. Pack your things and your ideas and

don't come back. Drop out. Start up. For I can tell you that a cap and gown

will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off

this stage are keeping me dow..."


(At this point The Oracle CEO was ushered off stage.)



----- Original Message -----

From: Charlie Osmond <

charliefreshminds [dot] co [dot] uk

>

To: <

uk-netmarketingmail [dot] chinwag [dot] com

>

Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 5:11 PM

Subject: UKNM: Fresh Minds



> Ben,

>

> You said 4 things which I will deal with separately:

>

> 1. Ben Metcalfe wrote: "Why do you say that school leavers are looking for

> long-term employment with just one company?  I don't think there is any

> proof or reason to assume that"

>

> I never said (or implied) this, what on earth makes you think that I

did? -

> besides it surely has nothing to do with this debate.

>

> 2. Ben wrote: "surely school leavers are the people who have taken the

> initiative, got off their a***s and learnt skills independently".

>

> I think it is wrong for you to claim that university graduates have not

got

> off their a***s and learnt skills independently. I know of loads of grads

> that have taught themselves all manner of skills outside their university

> education. Do you have anything to back up your claim?

>

> 3. Ben: "Grads, on the other hand, have been spoon-fed education and had

> their learning channelled for them".

>

> Whilst I agree that spoon-feeding does go on within higher education it is

> utterly fallacious to generalise and imply that grads take no active role

in

> their education. Yes, it is usually channelled, but there is good reason

for

> this - it lends structure to the education process. Are you trying to

claim

> that education should be unstructured? or unchannelled?

>

> 4. Ben wrote "Which of the two is going to survive and perform best in a

> commercial environment?"

>

> I am afraid to say that all the governments statistics on this question

> point overwhelmingly against you. There is a strong correlation between

> those countries which provide university education and economic success.

> There is certainly no doubt that the Asian Tigers attribute much of their

> success to an increase in further-education provision.

>

> I suppose other ways in which to test this are to look at the CEO's of the

> countries top firms. I don't have these figures to hand, and it could be

> argued that other factors play a part in actually securing jobs, but I'm

> sure it's at least 80% grads. Certainly in terms of remuneration,

graduates

> earn significantly more than non-graduates over their lifetime.

>

> Now I don't claim that this is because they do a better job, but the

> justification for the recent call for a graduate tax is to correct for the

> benefit graduates receive from their education - so by implication they do

> "survive" best in a commercial environment.

>

> I hope this clarifies some of your questions. But please, if you have

> further comments - don't waste the groups time (they must be bored of

Fresh

> Minds by now) and talk to me direct.

>

> Charlie

> __________________________

> Charlie Osmond

> Fresh Minds Ltd.

> w www.freshminds.co.uk

>

e charliefreshminds [dot] co [dot] uk

> t  020 8249 8202 (or 8204)

> f  0208 467 4773



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