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’s basement office. The term comes from the old typesetting mark (-30-) to denote the end of a line.

Please bear with me. My writing at the Texan has been limited to short and sweet tweets and Facebook social copies, so don’t expect this to make any coherent sense.

Although my time at the Texan was shorter than most, this semester has given me so many experiences that I felt a goodbye column was warranted. From on-campus protests to the 2016 presidential election to “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” all I can say is these past four months have been one heck of a ride.

Because of the Texan, I have experienced things and learned things I never thought I would be able to. So here are some reasons I am thankful for my two semesters here:

I developed thicker skin. Seriously, people on the Internet can be downright savage. 

On the other hand, I feel like I have experienced Internet fame through retweets and likes. And not going to lie, it feels pretty good.

I’ve been in the same room as Matthew McConaughey. Granted there were at least a hundred people between us, but I was in his general vicinity. That counts, okay.

I met people that are willing to talk about “Gilmore Girls” indefinitely. However, I am firmly rooted in my belief that #TeamLogan is the best team. Everyone else is wrong.

I witnessed the craziness that is a presidential election day. It only happens every four years and I got to experience it!

I watched football and actually enjoyed it. I am still not entirely sure how the game works, but I can name more than one player on the team now. Yay progress! And it even made me emotional. I love you, Charlie.

I learned that I am capable of walking from campus to the South First Street Bridge to Congress Avenue Bridge to the Capitol and then back to campus. Okay, yes I know some people run to the Capitol on a daily basis, but I once logged three steps on my FitBit for an entire day, so this was an accomplishment.

Although I am relieved I will no longer have to sprint from protest to protest to get Facebook Live coverage, I am sad to be leaving the Texan. The Daily Texan gave me so much while simultaneously forcing me to exercise. 

My time at the Texan ends here, but I can’t wait to see what comes next. Perhaps the Stars Hollow Gazette?

—30—