Chapter 18 Most Popular Person on Campus

the second part Most Popular Person on Campus "...My friends, architecture is a great art founded upon two great principles of the universe, beauty and usefulness. Broadly speaking, they are but the eternal trinity—truth, goodness, and beauty Part of it. Truth, used to treat our artistic tradition; Good, used to treat the objects we serve; Beauty, the goddess that all artists worship, she can be a lovely woman or a building. … Well, this is the case... In short, I want to say to those of you who are about to start your career in architecture, you are the custodians of a sacred cultural heritage... yes... so please go forward, face life, and use eternal Trinity arm yourselves - with courage and discernment. Arm yourselves with the principles of our great academy. May you all do your part, neither slaves of the past nor upstarts who flaunt so-called ingenuity for your own gain , that attitude is nothing but ignorant vanity; may you all have a bright future and leave this world with your footprints on the long river of history."

Guy Franken ended his speech with a dramatic wave of his right hand.Informal, but airy, is Guy's consistent style.The spacious hall is full of vitality amidst applause and praise. Thousands of people, thousands of young faces brimming with sweat and enthusiasm, solemnly looked up at Guy Franken's pulpit for forty-five minutes.Guy Franken on this podium is the spokesperson for the graduation ceremony of Stanton Institute of Technology who came from New York on a special trip; he is a member of the famous Franken-Haye Architectural Design Institute, an American architect Vice President of the Masters Guild, Chairman of the American Construction Industry Directors Association; Member of the National Art and Letters Association, Secretary of the American Craft Federation; Knight of the French Legion of Honor, the Medal awarded by the British Government, the Belgian Government, the Monaco Government and Siam (Thailand) He is also the most remarkable graduate of Stanton Institute of Technology, who once designed the famous Frink National Bank Building in New York City, and the roof of the twenty-five-story building above the driveway of the building , has a small replica of Hadrian's tomb (350 BC) with perennial wind-shielding torches made of glass and high-quality bulbs from the American General Electric Company.

Guy Franken stepped down from the pulpit with a perfect sense of timing and movement.He was of medium build, not particularly fat, but unfortunately a little fat.He knew that no one would guess his actual age (he was fifty-one).There was not a wrinkle or a line in his face, but an artful combination of ball and circle, arch and oval, and his bright eyes sparkled with wit.His attire reflects an artist's deliberate attention to detail.When he walked down the steps slowly, a desire rose in his heart-he himself is a comprehensive university. He thought that the hall in front of him was an outstanding example of architectural art, but today's crowded crowd, coupled with a small neglected ventilation problem, made it look a bit old-fashioned and dull.Still, the hall has much to be proud of: the green marble piers, the gilt-painted iron Corinthian columns with leaf-shaped bells on the capitals, and the gilded fruit on the walls. Floral decorations, especially those bromeliads.This is very touching, Guy Franken thought, and it was I who did the design of the appendages of these buildings.The hall in front of me was built twenty years ago, and now, I am standing here again.The hall was crowded with crowds, the bodies of the people were crowded together, and the faces were so close together that at first glance it was impossible to tell which face belonged to which body.The crowd was like a soft, quivering jelly of countless arms, shoulders, and bellies.Among the crowd of heads was one that belonged to Peter Gidding, pale and handsome, with black hair.

He sat near the front, trying to keep his eyes from the pulpit, because he knew in his heart that countless eyes were watching him now and would be watching him later.He didn't look back, but the feeling of being under the watchful eye never left him.His black eyes were alert and wise, and the corners of his mouth were curved upwards, and the contours of his lips were perfect, like a crescent moon.A smile on the corner of his mouth made him look noble, generous and passionate.There was a certain classical perfection to his head, the beauty in the shape of the skull, in the black lock of naturally curved curls at his well-sunken temples.He held his head high, as if he was aware of his own beauty, but others did not.He was Peter Gidding, student star at Stanton Tech, president of the student body, captain of the varsity track team, member of one of the most important fraternities, voted the most popular man on campus.

Keating thought to himself that so many people were here to see him graduate, and he tried his best to estimate the capacity of this hall.Everyone here is aware of his academic record, and no one can match him today.Oh, yes, he had an opponent named Shlink.Shlink once had a tough competition with him, but in the past year, he had defeated it.He used to study hard because he wanted to beat Shlink.He has no opponent today... Then, he felt something falling down, into his throat, and into his stomach, it was a cold and hollow thing, and the process of falling was always accompanied by this feeling: no scruples, but some kind of hint or question, asking if he was really that great, as the glorious day was about to be announced!He looked for Shlink in the crowd, and he saw it: a pair of gold-plated glasses on Shlink's sallow face.Peter gazed at him affectionately, feeling a sudden sense of relief and relief, but also gratitude.Obviously, in terms of appearance and ability, Shlink can't match him, and he has no doubts about this.He will always beat Shlink, thousands of Shlinks in the world; he will not let anyone achieve what he cannot achieve.Let them take a good look.He'd have reasons to impress them.He could feel the hot breath and eager anticipation of the people around him, like anticipating a shot of stimulant.It's a wonderful life to be alive, thought Peter Keating.

His head started to feel a little dizzy.It was a pleasant feeling, a feeling that sustained him, and he was in a trance, unable to resist and unable to remember how he got up on the pulpit and faced all the faces.He stood there, his slender figure looking clean and strong, a typical athlete's body.He stood, letting the cheers of the crowd surge.Amidst this tidal roar he learned that he had graduated with honors from the university, that the American Association of Architects presented him with a gold medal, that he had won the Prix de Paris Award - a grand prize awarded by the American Architecture Steering Committee, and a generous scholarship for four years at the Ecole de Beaux-Arts in Paris.