I used to think that I had to pretend to know what I was doing， that I had everything under control and that I was in charge. It was that kind of thinking that got me into trouble in the first place. Now， I was finding that the easiest way to gain other people' s respect was to admit to them what I did not know. I was shocked. It was my not knowing， my humility， and my willingness to ask others for help that was making me win in my new endeavor.
I finished my term as president. In the end， the team that I had put together raised over $125， 000 and we built a coffeehouse that is still there eleven years later.
On graduation day， as I grabbed my diploma and walked past my college president， he whispered， "Son， what doesn' t kill you makes you stronger."
我簡直不敢相信自己的眼睛。一走進校園，我就看見海報貼得到處都是，上麵潦草地寫著：“傻瓜下台！”我是學生會主席，同學們卻要我下台。同學們陸陸續續地到了學校， 我看見他們圍到海報旁，然後向我望過來。當時，我感覺自己的身心和人格就好像被置於奶酪擦上來回地磨著，我覺得自己都要崩潰了，然而仍拚命地試圖保持鎮靜。
當被同學們選舉為學生會主席時，校領導在選舉活動上對我選舉成功表示祝賀，並說這是學校有史以來最精彩的一次競選活動。校園草地上的扔飛盤活動是我政治生涯的開端，我將飛盤扔給一些不認識的人，然後，他們又把飛盤拋給他們不認識的人。沒過多久，我們形成了一個小團體，每天的午餐時間聚在一起扔飛盤。
一天，在扔飛盤的時候，大家自發組織去學校附近爬山。在到達山頂的時候，我們又唱又跳，講著笑話，就好像在夏令營一般。那實在是太有趣、太令人興奮了。我們吹著涼爽的山風，就像小孩子一樣嬉笑打鬧，大家一致同意下周再來。“帶上一個朋友”成了我們的口號。