Most speeches in Atlanta these days manage to work in the Olympics. I tried to figure out some way to do that as well. I see some presidents shaking their heads. Given our experience in soliciting contributions, presidents all have a perfect retirement career in telemarketing. I eventually decided to avoid an Olympic theme.
Inaugural addresses tend to take one of two approaches.
Half of them celebrate a college's past achievements. DeKalb College has many to celebrate. How difficult it is for a newcomer to recapture the past, especially when that past is sitting there looking back at you with a thousand eyes. The other half of inaugural addresses avoid the past but look rather to the future. These focus on the bright promises of the future, or they hint darkly at the dangers of the future.