UC Berkeley Web Feature

What are some of your favorite memories from UC Berkeley?

NewsCenter | 12 May 2005

BERKELEY – Graduation is a time for looking forward, and looking back. The Class of 2005 has had a tumultuous four (or five) years, beginning their first month of school with the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and watching the nation go to war against Afghanistan and Iraq. And while these students will never forget these universal, formative moments, the memories they take away from UC Berkeley also include more personal ones. We asked several graduates to share some of the latter with us as they waited outside the Greek Theatre for Commencement Convocation on May 11.

'The late-night chats, having all my friends at my fingertips, theater rehearsals — all that bonding and closeness.' -Michelle Bonanno, Theater & Performance Studies / Mass Communications '05, from Antioch, CA.

'I'll remember the political activism on campus, people's willingness to express their feelings. I may not have always agreed with them, but I respect their passion.' -Randall Mah, History '05, from Northridge, CA.

'For me, this has been a nice vacation. It beats the hell out of working construction — hauling concrete, lugging toilets. Now I'm on the verge of becoming an intellectual!' -Bob Brock, History '05, from Huntington Beach, CA.

'Living on the African-American theme floor my freshman year, I made friends that I'll have for the rest of my life.' -Alyson Edwards, African-American Studies '05, from Los Angeles, CA.

'Without a doubt, my greatest memory is the Golden Bears football game against USC two years ago. It went into triple overtime, and the Cal community really came together — we were so proud to be Bears that day.' -Tara Moore, Mass Communications '05, from Belvedere, CA.

'All the good friends I made; I know they'll be there for me, and we'll keep in touch. What else — well, getting an A in Organic Chemistry was definitely a plus.' -Sameir Alhadi, Molecular and Cell Biology '05, from Clovis, Ca.

'I would have to say living in the Bay Area, being so near San Francisco — I love the sightseeing, the weather, the food. It's just a great city.' -Brian Winston, Economics '05, from Virginia Beach, VA

'The greatest thing about Berkeley has been the freedom to explore what liberation means to me, physically, spiritually, mentally and academically — I jumped around three different majors before I found the one for me.' -Angeline Young, Music/Dance & Performance Studies '05, from San Francisco, CA.

Read the responses to previous Point of View questions