An address to the University of Virginia, class of 2034:
I don't know if it's possible to be loved by a place. To feel such a sense of belonging as to have the bricks and stones themselves care for you and your wellbeing. I think I've found such a place and such a bond. These same street lights that have illuminated Grounds on many a cold winter night still reach out to me with the same loving embrace that they did twenty years ago.
These Grounds are more than just a place. They are a place full of people. Of brilliant faculty and staff who work behind the scenes to make the University what it is, of diverse people who bring new ideas and perspectives to the community of knowledge housed here, and of capable people who use their knowledge to change the world. But most importantly, of friends.
We pledged the honor code. We lit the Lawn. We stormed football fields and basketball stadiums. We walked Rugby Road and the bars at the Corner, and we drank at Foxfield. We had movie nights and deep discussions of life, love, and the future. We were friends. I can still see their faces, I can still hear their laughter.
With the passing of time, we grew apart. People moved to new cities and started new careers and families. Some friends I haven't heard from in many years, some I still keep in touch with, some I see all the time. But these experiences bound us inexorably together. We are all, forever, wahoos.
We will always have the memories and photos of times shared together, and we've all been forever changed by our time spent here. We conduct ourselves with integrity and honor, and we are loyal in our friendships. We are intellectually curious, and we excel in the pursuit of excellence.
This is not the end, It'll just be different from now on. The ties forged between us wahoos while on Grounds may be stretched thinly over time and space, but they will always be there. Remember that. This is not the end, but a new beginning.
Congratulations to you, Graduates of Mr. Jefferson's University.
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