GRADUATION

Every year, Dana College asks one member of the graduating class to speak on his or her experiences at the annual Builders Luncheon. This year, the speaker was Emily Neve ’04, whose family has produced many alumni and proud supporters of Dana. Emily was one of the most active students in the Class of 2004, participating in music, theater, campus ministry and many student organizations. She will be an English teacher in the Omaha Public School system next year.

Emily’s speech follows:

My name is Emily Neve and I am a graduating senior. Let me say that again. I am a graduating senior. It still seems odd to say. I can’t believe I am already done. I feel like I just got here, blinked my eyes, and now I’m ready to graduate. When I arrived here four years ago, I knew nobody except my great uncles in town, and I had no idea these Dana College buildings would soon be a place I called home. When I was asked to speak today and reflect on my time at Dana I had a hard time putting into words what this place means to me, but I’m going to try. I decided to put together a Top 10 list of the things I will miss about Dana. Here it goes:

10. I’ll miss road trips with the Women’s Soccer Team.

9. I’ll miss camping under the cross up on Dana Hill, with the amazing view.

8. I’ll miss checking my mail five times a day hoping somebody loves me.

7. I’ll miss No Frills at 2 a.m. in my pajamas — every weekend.

6. I’ll miss knowing no matter how bad I think my just-rolled-out-of-bed look is, someone else looks worse.

5. I’ll miss wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter because the heat is on in Argo.

4. I’ll miss being close enough to my professors that I can share with them my joys and my tears.

3. I’ll miss wearing my red robe for Chorale concerts.

2. I’ll miss living, breathing, eating … and sleeping in Lauritzen Theatre during show weeks.

And the No. 1 thing I’ll miss about Dana are the close relationships I have found here with the faculty, staff and my friends. Dana is the place where I was given so many opportunities and was really able to grow, not only academically but personally, because I was invested in as a person. My professors knew me; I’m not just another name. The relationships I have formed here have taught me about the person I want to be. As I close today I want to leave you with a poem that I think truly exemplifies what Dana has taught me as I leave this campus behind after graduation. The poem is entitled “Life.” It’s author is unknown.

Life isn’t about keeping score.

It’s not about how many friends you have

Or how accepted you are.

Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you’re alone.

It isn’t about who you’re dating, who you used to date, how many people you’ve dated, or if you haven’t been with anyone at all.

It isn’t about who your family is or how much money they have

Or what kind of car you drive.

Or where you are sent to school.

It’s not about how beautiful or ugly you are.

Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to.

It’s not about if your hair is blonde, red, black or brown

Or if your skin is too light or too dark.

Not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everyone else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are.

It’s not about what clubs you’re in or how good you are at “your” sport.

It’s not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will “accept the written you.”

LIFE JUST ISN’T.

But, life is about whom you love and whom you hurt.

It’s about whom you make happy or unhappy purposefully.

It’s about keeping or betraying trust.

It’s about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.

It’s about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.

About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.

It’s about what judgments you pass and why. And who your judgments are spread to.

It’s about who you’ve ignored with full control and intention.

It’s about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.

It’s about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow, and spreading it.

But most of all, it’s about using your life to touch or poison other people’s hearts in such a way that could have never occurred alone.

Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those choices are what life’s all about.

Thank you.