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The Sensation of Belonging

Lest you fear that this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Crimson Keyster has forgotten about the loneliness and ,desperation that so powerfully characterized the first half of my "Union walk," fear not.

This anxiety accompanied me for the next three years; whether I had three papers and an exam the next week or a speech for an election I was running in, that sinking feeling was my constant companion on the walks home from Lamont or the Science Center.

Harvard's greatest gift to me, and I believe to each one of us, was the opportunity to realize that I could handle what was thrown in front of me, the realization that each one of us can serve as our own life-pre-servers. While we think we might sink, we have the capability to stay afloat.

I learned this slowly but surely, each time I finished those papers or gave that speech. By learning that I was indeed capable of facing the challenges in front of me, the pangs of loneliness, which had always accompanied this sinking feeling, changed to a pride in my independence and a faith in my abilities.

This transition is not complete; and I assure you, I am gripped by this same anxiety as I look toward the future and the new challenges facing me as I leave; but unlike my walks from the Union three years ago, I am confident that I have the capability to handle the challenges with which I am faced.

Being surrounded by the support and friendship of the Harvard community for the last four years has facilitated a growth in self-confidence in my abilities, especially my ability to survive and conquer whatever challenges I will face.

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I believe that our experiences here have given each one of us this increased sense of confidence in who and what we are. In reflecting upon what Harvard has given me, it's the support and friendship, from roommates and classmates, and this increased sense of self-confidence and self-reliance that I count among its most important gifts, gifts which I will carry with me always.

Lindsay H. Tomenson '96 is the former president of the Crimson Key Society.CrimsonGabriel B. EberLINDSAY H. TOMENSON '96 says a sense of community is one of Harvard's greatest gifts to its students.

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