Esther Tang, president of the class of 2004, speaks at Senior Convocation ceremonies May 29, 2004, on Schoellkopf Field while former U.S. President Bill Clinton looks on. Clinton began his address by saying he thought the audience had already heard the best speech of the day. Nicola Kontoupes/University Photography Copyright © Cornell University

They said Cornell was a school where you would walk up a 90 degree hill in 5 degree weather to score a 20 on an exam.

I recall laughing at that description. Little did I know how literal that portrayal really was.

That being said, what a great huge climb up the hill we've all had. Without the comfort of home, grade inflation, and trust funds, we are the egalitarian member of the Ivy League's freshest batch of eager minds greased by the will power that only Dijon Burgers and Hot Truck PMPs can bestow.

Today, we celebrate the legacies of our families, our cultures, our nations, and our alma mater.

Maybe it's because I am a Hotelie, but I feel like I have been celebrating the entire time I've been here. From the first time I stuffed myself into Statler Hall's highly populated elevator, to the last time I attended a TCAB/Rhapsody, I have felt incredibly blessed to have learned and laughed along side some very fine people... and their very fine wines.

A few nights ago, as I sat crafting this eloquent and politically correct speech at 4 a.m. thinking this was the most difficult paper I have ever written and hopefully my last all-nighter, it occurred to me that I might not have learned everything I should have during my time here.

You might say that I had a Gatsby moment because I wandered outside of my apartment on Catherine Street and hiked up to see the two people who could give me the answers I demanded. I went to speak with our founders, Andrew Dickson White and Ezra Cornell.

It was well past midnight, so of course I didn't expect the two statues to get up and shake hands with each other.

First, I explained to them that I was generally happy with my college education.

Second, I admitted to having made mistakes from which I learned lessons the hard way.

And third: I told them that despite having had the same haircut and wardrobe since sixth grade, I have had substantial personal growth.

So why did I still feel like I couldn't see the fabled elephant standing in the middle of the room? What was Cornell's final lesson and why was it so hard to learn?

Just sitting there on the Arts Quad filled my mind with fond memories of Cornellians tossing frisbees in 50 degree weather (because at Cornell, 50 degree weather is a heat wave), students practicing marital arts by Morrill Hall, and Archies and Engineers proudly parading their respective fiery beasts on Dragon Day.

I guess you could say I sobered up at that point and realized the statues were not really talking to me... and that if I was not careful, a bizarre photo of me might end up in the Cornell Daily Sun newspaper the next day.

But I know what my final lesson from Cornell is. It's how to say goodbye when everything in life seems good.

It's knowing that the opportunity to say goodbye is a priceless gift in and of itself. And when we can bid farewell before the good times end, how much more we will continue through life appreciating what we have when we have it.

Many times, we will have to depart when we don't want to. We will grow older and age faster than we would like, and after 50, maybe even put on some weight to make up for any hair loss. But, if we are able to catch ourselves each time change is about to occur, if we can pinpoint a moment between the complacency and nostalgia, I think we will more fully understand, feel, and enjoy life's moments of beauty and wonder.

Tomorrow, saying goodbye will be both easy and hard. The easy part comes when we remember writing 15-page papers three hours before they were due.

But the hard part comes when we remember that feeling of recognizing a song the chimesmasters played from the clocktower, or when we remember the warm taste of reheated pizza from Mama T's at 1:30 in the morning, and when we remember that curious feeling when the weather sharply turns from bleak to sunny in April when prospective students visit our campus. I still believe that Day Hall has a weather remote control, don't you?

So my farewell wish to us, my classmates, is that we will give a valiant effort towards saying goodbye, doing it by taking a risk. One risk I would like you to consider is to mend any damaged relationships.

Some of us might have a roommate grudge from freshman year. Sure she wore your clothes without asking, but you ate her food while she slept.

Some of us might have a neighbor grudge because they called the cops on your last party. But remember, I had to take the LSATs the next morning, that was my excuse!

And some of us might have an old boyfriend or girlfriend whom we didn't treat so well. The heart of another is precious and though that old flame is not your soulmate, he or she is the soulmate of someone else and we should respect that.

In each of these scenarios, I urge you to mend a relationship. In the end, all we can take with us are our relationships. And that's not just the politician in me talking.

We have one night and a few hours before we really do leave each other's company. There are things I know we have been waiting to do, words we have been waiting to say all our Cornell careers. Do them today. Say them tonight. Take a risk. Know how to say goodbye having fulfilled all your needs.

Before I start tearing up on the podium, I better close. What a rush it has been to address 30,000 people today. I am overjoyed to have our family and friends here.

Mom, Dad, and Ruth, thank you for loving me and supporting me. I am not always the best daughter or student, and despite trying to tell me that you found me in a dumpster next to a Chinese restaurant and that I don't actually have any of your genes, I love you three very much and I will always put God and family first.

To the Class of 2004, I love you too. Remember to do something risky tonight so that saying goodbye tomorrow won't be so sad or without cause. God bless!