Editor’s note: A 30 column is a chance for departing permanent staff to say farewell and reflect on their time spent in The Daily Texan basement office. The term comes from the typesetting mark (—30—) to denote the end of a line. 

My last day with The Daily Texan should have been three years ago. But with every last day, I found a reason to stay. 

In my first semester of college, I said goodbye to journalism as a major, designed somewhere between 14 and 15 Sports and Life&Arts layouts and even missed out on backstage passes to Maroon 5. I was ready to turn a new leaf in 2014 and trade in those late nights in the basement for eight hours of sleep. 

But then there was Jack. A long-haired fella with a contagious laugh and a knack for baking the best cookies. He was the only person at the Texan who took a chance on hiring me, and when I thought my chance was over, he asked me to come back. 

It didn’t take more than 10 minutes to change my mind. I came back in the spring and designed another 15 layouts. At the end of the semester, I had yet another opportunity to leave but like all the others, I found a reason to stay. 

There was Ginny, whose generosity and friendship came at a time when I needed it most. I knew she would become my best friend when she waited to walk home with me the first night we worked together. 

There was Kyle, whose sense of humor and music choices kept me sane. I knew I could count on him when the server crashed and he still came in on his day off. 

There was Aaron, whose devotion to people and storytelling is truly something incredible. He’ll go off to do amazing things, and I’ll look back at all the time we spent in the basement.

There was Kailey and Sarah, whose positivity and joyful spirits made a server crash one of my more memorable nights. 

There was Claire, who made the Texan a better place for everyone. 

There was Kelly and Lillian, who taught me the importance of a work-life balance. I can always count on them for a good time. 

There was Nick, Blanche and Amy, who were hands down the best Double Coverage team. 

There was Megan, who just gets me (and my coffee addiction). Our friendship started with a Kin’s coffee run, which soon turned into study sessions and football games. Now, I get to call her my roommate and get coffee with her every day.

There was Sammy, Elizabeth and sweet baby Megan, who proved to me that things just get better with new people. 

And just when I thought I’d done it all, there was Jackie. I met Jackie when we were 17 and clueless. I thought I would never see her again after journalism camp, but here we are more than four years later and I’m proud to call her my friend, boss and fellow Cherub. 

Jackie — your love, dedication and hard work is what made this semester so special. I couldn’t imagine working in management alongside anyone else but you. I’ve learned so much from just watching you, so thank you for this opportunity. 

As I write this from the airport awaiting my delayed flight, I say goodbye. But when I look back at my time here, I can say The Daily Texan and the people here helped me fly.

—30—