from the cs grad dinner..

here's chubbs' speech during the cs grad dinner. *sniff*

The People Who Brought us Here

Prof Evangel Quiwa, College Secretary, Dr. Ronald Tungol, Computer Science Department Chair, distinguished guests, members of the faculty, and fellow graduates-to-be, good evening.

On Saturday, we will don our togas and march at the University Theater for our college graduation. Time does fly so fast. It seems like it was only yesterday when we were clueless freshmen, lost in a huge university. We called Eng’g Melchor Hall or MH, we didn’t know the Ikot and Toki routes, we dressed differently, and we wondered why there was such a riot in Eng’g during December. The time we spent here at the University has changed us in many ways. The young, clueless, and sometimes immature freshmen have now become student leaders, Eng’g week veterans, expert programmers, and graduating CS students.

As we all know, being a CS student is no joke. And finishing the course is definitely the furthest from being one. We have all gone through hell weeks of exams, machine problems, and thesis presentations. We have all experienced staring at the computer monitor at night while everybody is sound asleep. We have all lost pounds in climbing the 4th floor of NEC to finish our theses. But amidst all the hardships and sleepless nights, we managed to squeeze our way into the graduates list. For that, we all deserve warm congratulations.

The Computer Science Department, our department, has done more to us than sell diskettes a peso each and provide an air-conditioned place to stay while waiting for class to start. The faculty, staff, and students, as members of the CS Dept, helped shape all of us here tonight. I believe that everyone who touches our lives leaves a mark in our character. This is what CS has done to us; it has left a huge imprint in our lives and has become a part of us.

Needless to say, our professors and instructors deserve all the thank you’s. Their teachings have been instilled in our heads. They have taught us much, from simple hello world programs to the theoretical frameworks of our theses. Some have taught us more than just algorithms and programming. They have inspired us how to live our lives. They have shown us the importance of hard work, patience, and determination. Indeed, our instructors deserve to be admired for their willingness to help students learn and share their knowledge to others.

Then, there are our fellow students – friends, orgmates, and groupmates, all a part of the department. Groupmates with whom you’ve done your MPs and your thesis with. Orgmates with whom you’ve worked with in extracurricular activities that helped boost your leadership qualities. And friends, friends whose mere presence lifts you up from a bad day. Friends with whom you’ve shared stories and jokes and laughter with, those who make college life worthwhile.

Indeed, our instructors, friends, and orgmates from the Department have contributed to who we are now. The people who have touched our lives have shaped us well, making us ready to face the future.

As we leave the portals of our alma mater, we will carry with us the high-quality education we got from the University. We will carry with us the teachings of our professors, the memories with our friends, and the maturity we obtained from our four-year stay in the UP environment. Let us not let our alma mater down and show the world what a UP DCS graduate is capable of. Let us face the future with the past in mind, helping in whatever way we can to give back to the people who brought us here.

Thank you and God bless!

here's the original post from chubbs' blog: CS Grad Party