As a sophomore, graduation seems like a distant dream. But for seniors, and another important member of our campus community, that dream is quickly turning into reality.

Some seniors will graduate and enter the workforce and others will continue their graduate studies. But, for one person, this year’s graduation will not mark the beginning of a new career, but the start of retirement.

This upcoming graduation ceremony will probably be just as much about President Lois DeFleur’s departure as it will be about the Class of 2010’s. Inevitably, her retirement will be mentioned during the commencement and, if I had to predict the future, I would probably say that the president will most definitely receive a standing ovation when she is introduced.

But before she takes the stage in front of the graduating class and their families to make a brief statement, she should carefully plan her speech and use it as an opportunity to reach out to students and teachers alike. She could try to be relatable, to recapture our trust and respect and to maybe acknowledge and share some of her personal views about the scandalous events of this past year.

She owes it to Binghamton University and to herself to be a little out-of-the-box with her last speech, to talk eye to eye with students and parents who want closure and who seek answers. Her silence in the past has been extraordinarily damning to her own reputation, and it would be shameless of her to completely ignore recent events and act as if nothing has happened.

At the end of the day, we all know what to expect at a graduation ceremony. We all know the clich√É.√©s, the unabridged optimistic speeches and the persistent use of the words like “beginning,” ”hope” and “persistence.” Even though no graduation would be complete without these things, nothing trumps honesty and sincerity.

President Lois DeFleur’s speech should be reflective, truthful, realistic and personal. It should account for the bad and the good, include some of her regrets over the years (not just from this past year) and reflect on what has made her the most proud. She should definitely not waste our time by rattling off statistics and rankings — the Class of 2010 certainly does not define itself according to numbers and what Fiske Guide has to say about them. We have it heard about a million times already; we don’t need to hear it again.

Her commencement speech will be her last chance to publicly address the campus. If she is able to successfully clear the air around her, perhaps students and parents will finally see the positive parts of her legacy, along with the negative.