As I walk to the post office to return my mail key, I got to thinking about all the things I wished I’d done during my time at Emory. I thought about relationships lost, how I never became proficient enough in a foreign language to use it for business and how many things incoming freshmen expected that never happened. Time and again, the single negative aspect of an evaluation stands out against the sea of positive comments. Rather than dwell as our time at Emory comes to an end, I think we should focus on what we did do.

We became close with our residence halls through Songfest only to learn of (and sometimes see) them being destroyed. Our peers became the resident advisors we had to keep an eye out for. We declared a war with Wash. U to find recruits in short demand.

We found a new mail vendor and a new general education requirement system. We saw a stage collapse — almost on Akon — and a new one erected on an expanded McDonough Field. His Holiness the Dalai Lama became a professor and delivered incredible lessons. Wednesdays became wonderful, again. The entrance to our college changed. Our beloved shuttles to Lindbergh were expanded to include other places of interest. Fraternities left; others came to take their place. A side of a hilly road became Sorority Village.

Bobby Seale, Jerry Springer, Janet Reno, Paul Rusesabagina, John Ashcroft, Ralph Nader, David Horowitz, John Legend and Tracy Morgan, among many, many others, spoke. Celebrations for Diwali Pujas and Chinese New Years grew, quilts were laid on the quad, marathons were held for miracles, thousands of dollars were raised for Hurricane Katrina and students traveled around the world to study. A new president was elected; our votes were solicited. All this without mention of the dozens of all-nighters and late-night trips to Jazzman’s we shared.

As we walk at Emory’s 164th graduation, I take solace in thinking that we graduate from a school better than the one we matriculated to, that future Emory students can share in our fruits and that our efforts made this so. I hope we can all take a minute to look around at the class who’s lived through this with us and say not only goodbye, but also thank you.

Daniel Berger was president of College Council.