For the past four years, we've been enveloped here on this hill by the oft‐mentioned protective shell of Granville. When I refer to our protective shell, I by no means suggest that we have been shielded from the world – but rather been exposed to an environment that promotes exploration and discovery within the safety net of our community. Indeed, one of the most important parts of our Denison experience revolves around the community we've created and how it has helped shape who we are today. When I think about the Denison community, there are a number of things that come to mind. I think of a community where students are encouraged to try every opportunity they come across. A community where we hold doors for others, even if they're at that awkward distance where the other person ends up hurrying to make it there. A community where each student is allowed to be different, be unique, and at the same time be a Denisonian.

We all came to this community from very different ones back home. Coming to Denison as an international student, I entered this school with very different perceptions and ideas of what college would be like. We all did. Each of us came here from a very different place, a very different bubble back home. My place was Singapore, in the heart of Southeast Asia, where my usual meals consisted of Lemon Chicken and fried rice, not hamburgers and milkshakes. Where the weather never reached below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and snow was a mythical thing. Denison to me was a whole new world with a different set of people and ideas, and as a wide-eyed and bushy tailed first year it was quite a culture shock.

As that unsure and exciting first year began, I had felt like I was leaving home. Now, at the end of our four years here, I have to leave home again. We all, as the Denison community, have helped each other through these past four years, trying to navigate our way through the years of late nights, headaches, and exorbitantly long essays. We've built this new community, this new home, so different from what we all expected when stepping into our dorms for the first time, but something we have all grown to love.

In being a part of the campus community, we've all had to find our place within the much wider scope of Denison. We've each explored our academic passions, and gained much from the faculty and staff that have given their efforts to ensure our successes. We've each found our fit within the multitude of campus organizations, such as athletics, Greek life, service groups, the arts, cultural groups, and beyond. Many, like myself, have found our fit in a little bit of everything, enjoying the opportunity to try so many things and discover interests that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Our memories from those organizations are the ones that will carry us through the coming years, the ones that have made our college experience so rich and rewarding. Those same organizations have given us more than memories, however, they've given us the tools to move beyond Denison and do great things in the world.

The Denison bubble has allowed us a space in which we have come to know the importance of creativity, of following our heart, and of taking the lead; it has helped teach us how to be part of a team, how to communicate effectively, and how to build something, together. Today, four years after we stepped inside the invisible boundaries of this community, we stand here prepared and able to take the leap beyond our transparent shell and – in a phrase I recall from our own induction ceremony four years past – "pop" the Denison bubble. The skills we've learned here are ones that we now have the responsibility to take with us into the communities outside Denison, and bring the sense of unity, respect and courage we have found here to each city, each job and community we choose to enrich going forward.

As we leave this stage today, and step beyond this invisible bubble, there are many things that this community stands for that we will always carry with us. We will never forget how delicious a snagel can be, what a deer looks like from less than a foot away, and how out of shape the trip from South Quad up the hill can make you feel. But we will take away so much more than that. We will always be the active citizens that Denison has molded us into, the go-getters and creative thinkers that we have become. We will always represent the Big Red, and be a part of the community that stands behind it.

Let us all promise to go forward with the same mindset we had going into college. Try new things. Take opportunities that open up whole new perspectives, opportunities that challenge you to rethink and readjust your understanding. Our journey of discovery doesn't end with our diplomas – there is always more out there to learn. There are many phrases, many ways of saying the point this speech and this graduation and the last four years make, but to the graduating Class of 2013 I say this: Take every opportunity you can, learn from every mistake, be every bit the confident, courageous and effervescent human beings I know you are and show the world what they've been missing – what a Denisonian can offer.

I truly believe that the significant steps we take in our lives are less momentous if not shared with those who have helped us on our way to our achievements. Also, I must attend to one other salutation before I begin my address or I promise you I will regret it later. I would like to wish all of the mothers, stepmothers and maternal figures in the audience a wonderfully joyous and happy mother’s day!

When I was first notified that I had been nominated to prepare a possible speech for commencement, several different emotions raced through my body; severe terror, excitement, honor and intimidation. It was at this point in my maelstrom of emotions that I began to consume… or more precisely to over consume. I consumed everything from famous speeches of the past, to speech guides ranging from scholarly articles to “how tos”. Through this consumption I discovered the positive side of over consumption. In conjunction with this discovery I found that the speeches that were most appealing, intellectual and engaging to me were those based on a personal narrative.

Our college narrative began four years ago. We received our acceptance letters, graduated from high school and prepared for what many people would call the best four years of our lives. The campus wide theme for our first year was consumption. The issue of consumption, or over consumption –as it is most often considered- can be related to many topics. Colloquially there are more negative connotations to the word consumption than positive. We over consume natural resources; we over consume unhealthy fast foods, mindless television, detrimental amounts alcohol, prescription and recreational drugs. As a society we do negatively consume, but what if we changed what we over-consumed or how we consumed? What if we changed this typically negative practice to a positive?

The focus of a liberal arts education is to teach students to become critical thinkers empowered with the skills to learn. In my experience, my liberal arts education at Denison may have taught me how to further my education but more importantly my professors, peers and advisors have fostered in me the ability to consider the world from different perspectives. Change is difficult but positive change is necessary. There was a time when we thought that dining halls without trays would detrimentally change our experience here on The Hill but the Trayless Tuesday campaign reduced food waste by 30%. We need to question the consumption practices of the present to ensure that they are still enhancing our vision for the future and refine the practices that are contributing negatively. Some changes may be demanding but the products those changes produce is important for our future and for the futures of the generations that follow us.

When I initially read the section about consumption in my first year orientation packet, only negative themes came to mind. The over consumption of natural resources has directly altered climate patterns; massive earthquakes and super storms have become the norm. The percentage of children suffering from obesity due to overconsumption has tripled in only one generation. The past we have inherited, and are currently living in and building upon, is affecting who we will become. We are dealing today with problems we may have not created and yet are we considering the issues we are leaving for the next generation? Unregulated consumption of plastic, trees and oil in the past is harming our natural environment. The world is in disarray, detrimental globalization, political chasms, violence and recessions are front-page news – we need to reevaluate the situations that have become common practice. We need to utilize the skills we have acquired from our liberal arts education and look at consumption differently. What if we over consumed education or literature? What if we over consumed cultural practices and opportunity? In ten years, would the world be in the same state it is today?

The future is not ours for the taking; the future is ours to participate in, so why not participate in a change? I wont speak too extensively on the future, because I am, for the next hour or so, in the same bubble that you are in. I cannot predict entirely or know for sure what the future holds. I will say that as we are a class comprised of political and social leaders, champion athletes, award-winning scholars, gifted artists, those with bright futures laid out in front of them and those who have yet to choose from the many paths available to them- I do not think we should be worried too much about our futures. We will leave here today with skills, relationships and experiences that will guide and support us through whatever the next days of our journeys bring. We will also of course have a degree from an accredited and stellar liberal arts college … if we decide to succeed - we will.

If I had a time turner, I would return to move-in day, four years ago and I would instruct myself to consume even more of what The Hill has to offer. From speakers like Madeline Albright and The Cookie Monster, to events centered on philanthropy and community outreach, to influential alumni and conferences teaching leadership and involvement; the Denison Community has offered a plethora of experiences to encourage our education to continue outside of the classrooms. However, as time jumps are not possible, I will take this opportunity now to press upon my classmates, myself, and everyone gathered here today that we must continue to consume what is available to us once we pop the bubble and leave this home we have created here. Communities outside of The Hill are full of opportunities for growth, for study and for development and we should not cease to consume just because we are leaving this cocoon of learning. Continue to consume but remember we must consume positively.

Many of you will say that these past years at Denison have been the best four years of your life – don’t let them be. Let them be the four years that led to the best decades of your life. Embrace responsibility and your independence. Continue to the best of your ability to over consume as autonomous thinkers, discerning moral agents and active citizens of a democratic society.

Four years ago, we all embarked on the steep journey up that hill that leaves our thighs burning and our whits melting. We caravanned with our parents, friends, pets, and more to reach the Emerald City where we would spend the next four years living and learning with over two thousand strangers. On the way up, we met strange and overenthusiastic, upperclassmen Aug-o Staffers. All of whom were anxiously awaiting the arrival of eager and worried first year travelers. After the fast-moving storm of parents clad in brand new Denison gear carrying bins of clothes and ramen, we landed at the giant doors of that glimmering City and the booming tower that we call Swasey Chapel. Our hair askew and disheveled from the tornado arrival that left many of us (only a few literally) saying, "Todo, we're not in Kansas anymore" and how right we were.

We all walked up the not-so yellow brick path from Swasey Chapel towards our induction ceremony where Dr. Davis made us laugh and prepared us for the whirlwind of education and fun we were about to enter. We had to beg the wizard to let us enter, but once we did: We met Glinda the good witch, maybe in our FYS classes or favorite major courses, or even the sweet woman in Huffman dining hall. Glinda gave us guidance and the courage to continue skipping down that brick every day in a crazy ice storm or covered in chalk for the myriad of every week's events.

The class of 2013 also met the wicked witch of the west; maybe it was that econ final of freshman year, or the moment where homesickness really kicks in when Curtis food just does not cut it. No matter what obstacles were thrown our way, we were always met by a singing group of munchkins. Bear with me. They could be literal munchkins at weekly Big Brother's Big Sister's meeting, or they could be the various theater performances like the memorable clowns act of sophomore year. These acts give a break from academic stress, but also put on display the incredibly talented friends all around us, some of which quite tall in fact.

This is where we fell asleep in the library, or went to a DFS movie where the projector inevitably broke, or cursed your phone when DU Alert called twice, left four text messages and a few emails, or a deer burst into Slayter. We all came together 4 years ago, everyone bringing a horse of a different color, but we united over the fact that we were looking for something that we were missing. We all came to Denison missing a little something, some wisdom, some passion and some bravery, but we uncovered all of them and can leave today knowing that these traits will always be within us.

This is the place where we found our friends, not just passing in the wind friends, but friends that have heart, brains and courage. Moments of despair like losing our own classmates, Sarah and Liz, reminded us of the tremendous heart of this community. Our sadness is memorable, but finding comfort in our neighbors, classmates and professors is even more remarkable. There were also moments of utter fear when our GE science class had an exam about things beyond the English language, and it is in these moments where the physics guru on your floor comes to the rescue. Above all, we encountered moments of unknowing when we had to breach our comfort zones and uncover true courage. Whether we attended a club meeting that we were too hesitant to join or take an economics class, just for the hell of it. At the end of these years, you might wonder if these qualities have always been there, heart, brains and of course courage were never distant, but always somewhat hidden. And now we are here, in caps and gowns, standing in front of the wizard asking to enter into a new chapter.

During our four years, we saw all of these magical things and more. What we may not have realized is that along the way, there were familiar faces from years past helping us along the way. And the new faces we met will stay with us well beyond our years on the hill, guiding us in memory, but also urging us forward. So that one day, today on graduation day, our journey by way of tornado has come to an end, but it really has only just begun. And with that, we click our heels three times and recite, "there's no place like home." Only to find that when we wake up, it will be in an old but familiar place—right here on the hill. We will wake to realize that the lessons we learned, the people we met and the good times we had were there all along.

Denison University changed my life. That might sound cliché, or one might say, "isn't that what college is supposed to do?" But I'm here to tell you that Denison changed my life in such a profound way that for the last year I have wanted nothing more than the chance to tell my story to my fellow classmates and the rest of the Denison community today, so that they might be reminded of what a wonderful institution this place can be for one's identity, and of the incredible role this school plays in each of our lives.

The liberal arts provide a unique approach for us to not only better comprehend the world in which we are destined to make a difference, but also for us to better understand ourselves and the potential we can reach. My roommate Ana came to Denison without any direction of what she wanted to pursue, but after taking a small education class she discovered a passion for teaching, and in a couple months she will begin working with special education students through the Teach for America program. My friend Scott originally thought he wanted to become a psychologist, but with Denison's eclectic and unique science classes, Scott was challenged to think outside the box and developed an interest in alternative and holistic therapy methods. My sorority sister Jaclyn came to Denison knowing she wanted to work with sustainability but didn't know what her approach would be, now she is abroad in Zanzibar, studying the ways in which remote islands can help endangered species problems. My story is a little more personal, more painful, but no less transformative – just like my friends, Denison also provided me with a new sense of direction.

From the time I was six until I was ten, my childhood babysitter, a then teenage girl, sexually abused me. For over ten years, I struggled greatly in trying to deal with the experience. It was something I was afraid to talk about, and afraid to face. And as I grew older, I started to realize how the experience was strongly impacting my romantic life and my sexuality. I became more and more unhappy and unsure of myself, even in to my college years. But to my surprise, it was academia that helped me find a way to cope.

On a cold day in January of my junior year, I sat in a small, 300-level, communication class, and learned that I would be spending the rest of the semester studying myself. Yes, me. The research is described as autoethnographical, and it is a new form of research that is slowly gaining more recognition in the academic community because of its incredible ability to demonstrate true human feeling and experience over a certain area of study. After a few weeks of debating with myself, and a little help from my roommate and professor, I decided that it was my sexual abuse that I should finally confront and study through autoethnography. For the rest of the semester I endured sleepless, emotional nights, trying to find my voice in the midst of an experience that had left me so powerless. But, with the help of Denison's incredible faculty and staff, including those at the counseling office and the professors in the communication department, as well as many amazing Denison students graduating with me today, I am proud to be able to say that not only did I finish the paper, but I came to terms with the experience and gained agency over the angst that it had caused me for so long. The following semester, I was even given a chance to further my study on the topic, where I completed a senior research project about the importance of telling one's stigmatized story of sexual abuse. The communication department even helped me present my work at the Ohio Communication Association Conference at Kent State.

Because of Denison, I not only completed many pieces of academic work that I am truly proud of and will consider publishing, I also completed something that allowed me to better understand myself, and finally appreciate the person I am today. I strongly believe that if it weren't for Denison, I wouldn't have had many of these opportunities, and I know that I would not have been able to come to terms with my experience in the same way than if I had gone to school anywhere else.

I tell you all this story, because I know there are countless students graduating with me today that have had similar life-changing experiences because of this school. Each and every one of us is leaving Denison with an enhanced character, and a more greatly empowered identity. Because the truth is, Denison isn't just a place where you come to learn, Denison is a place where you come to evolve.

As we move forward in our lives, I encourage us to always remember the lessons that Denison has given us. I hope that most of you have not had to confront the kind of psychological difficulty that I have described, but all of us are going out into an uncertain world, and we will be facing countless political, social, and personal challenges. But I feel that it is safe to say that we are all stronger people today because of Denison University, so I urge us all to start our next chapter of life contributing to society in a way that reflects on the transformative education that we have been so privileged to receive. We have been given the tools to think critically, ethically, and confidently in any situation we may face, we know how to approach problems with poise and appreciation, we know how to research anything from queer culture to issues in international politics to creating the most sustainable campus possible.

Denison class of 2013 – thank you more than you know for everything that you have done for me. Denison changed our lives, now let us move forward and change the lives of others. We are going to be unstoppable.