May 15, 2010
JILL TSAI: Good evening and thank you for having me here tonight.
I know tonight is a celebration for our class of 2010, but I
would like to start with having everyone give a round of applause
for the family and professors who have guided us to this moment.
After four long years we are finally here! We have finally made
it. But, if you ask any graduate sitting around you they will tell
you this was not an easy achievement. These last four years at UC
Merced have been the most challenging ones of their lives. They
will tell you that the printers constantly jammed, the midterms
were difficult and sometimes the air was quite odiferous.
However, if you ask them if they would do it again, if they
would relive these years, these challenges all over; well, that is
when a sly smile will cross their lips, because after taking one
step on this campus, you cannot help but become a Bobcat. It must
be something in the water.
We are UC Merced’s class of 2010.
Our class is defined by our academics, leadership, creativity,
and our friendships. Unlike other college campuses we all know one
another and in our small numbers we have become a support team to
propel our classmates to their highest potential. And our proof is
not just in this impressive moment, but also in the traditions we share.
Yes, I did just say traditions. Although our sister campuses
would disagree, UC Merced does have its own traditions.
A few can even be divided by class. As freshmen, tradition
dictates that you register for Core. For those who don’t know what
Core is, it is a required class that you seem to appreciate more as
you get older. Imagine a class where you practice microeconomics,
mourn the loss of Pluto, and hypothetically kill off 70% of the
nation’s population all in one semester. That’s Core, in a
nutshell. If you don’t believe me, ask any Bobcat.
As a sophomore, tradition dictates that you get a job on campus
and it will probably be in the Dining Commons
There are two traditions as a junior: the first is to FINALLY
know where things are on campus and the second is to draw up
schematics for tipping the cows in the field, or at least buying
the t-shirt in the student store.
As a senior, the tradition is to walk proudly around campus, to
joyously reminisce and to contemplate how different you would be if
you had gone anywhere else.
So yes, UC Merced does have traditions even if they are as
simple as ‘Clam Chowder Fridays.’
Those traditions have made up our most precious memories on
campus. And, as we move on we can take pride in what we have
created. We have built clubs ranging from culture to comedy and
paved the way for the entire Greek life system. We have put on
shows, events, fundraisers, dances, and so much more to inspire and
entertain our community. Our creations are stepping stones for
future classes and when we return as alumni we can look on in pride
at our successors.
As much joy as we’ve encountered at this university, we have
also been forever bonded by the loss of our classmate, our brother,
Hector Barrera-Barraza. As we came together to mourn his death, one
could see the kinship that the class of 2010 shared. Even if you
didn’t personally know him, you still felt Hector’s loss like a
missing limb and that is a true testament to our camaraderie. And
though we will always grieve his loss, we also know that he is
looking on proudly at our accomplishments. We go forward to honor
his memory.
At other universities, students walk through sand in the
footprints of the students before them, merely riding on the coat
tails of their predecessors. At UC Merced, we have carved through
wet concrete to create our own path, a path that will forever be
engrained into the foundation of this campus. The college
experience for future students will be based on what we have
created. No one can ever take away that accomplishment. As we leave
our campus today we don’t have to cry, because our legacy is preserved.
So go forward.
In our time at UC Merced, we have been well educated in
academics and in life, and it is now time to apply it. Whether you
plan on working, continuing your education, or just taking a year
off, do so with the ethics you have gathered here. Show bravery,
and feel no fear to attempt goals that seem slightly out of reach.
Be wise in your decisions and always consider your fellow man.
Lastly, be humble, for your accomplishments were not without the
help of your family and friends.
Class of 2010, enjoy today, because we deserve it! We have
worked so hard, and as we leave to try out the real world we can do
so knowing that we are prepared for absolutely any challenge.
Afterall, if we can live in a city for four years where a
downtown consisting of a movie theater and a vacuum repair store
qualify as “entertainment,” we can do anything.
Thank you.
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