Passage 1

I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today. I have asked myself what important lessons I have learned in the 21 years since I graduated. I have come up with two answers. On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called "real life", I want to stress the crucial importance of imagination.
   So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won. Philosopher Seneca said: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the International Conference on Software Engineering. This conference aims to provide programs in which researchers, practitioners, and educators can present, discuss, and debate the most recent innovations, trends, experiences, and challenges in the field of software engineering. It features unique mixed topics of Software Engineering and Computer Science. The conference will provide a forum for sharing experiences and original research contributions on those topics.
   The International Conference on Software Engineering also welcomes contributors from academia, industry, and government to share leading-edge software engineering ideas with leaders in the field. All events are to be held in San Francisco — a beautiful city in view of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Scholars, researchers, professionals, leaders and students alike from all over the world are welcomed to join us for what promises to be a memorable International Conference on Software Engineering!