In seven semesters working at the Texan, I’ve written 100 stories. Story number 101 is my goodbye to this basement and its paper that have shaped my college experience. 

All honesty, I dipped out of the tryout process my freshman year (or “freshmen” if you ask Kirsten Handler). It is my greatest regret that I did not make it to the basement sooner than the fall of my sophomore year. In this basement, I’ve been a general reporter, a senior reporter, longtime associate editor and — if you can believe it — I was the summer 2019 Life&Arts editor. 

I did it all while balancing one to three other jobs and a full course load any given semester. I’m not sure how I did that, but I think it was a combination of caffeine and the desire to succeed.

Working for The Daily Texan has been both the most taxing and rewarding experience of my time as a Longhorn. I joke about living there, but I took more naps and ate more meals there than I did in my apartment. The Texan has been home to so many, and I can only hope that it sticks around long enough to be home to many more. 

Here comes the sappy part: The Daily Texan is where I met all of my best friends. So now I have to say (a temporary) goodbye to them. For the sake of word count I’m going to talk about my rocks this semester: Trinady Joslin, Noah Levine and Ariana Arredondo. 

Trinady and Ariana are some of the most kind and supportive people in my life. I know they are going to go so far in their journalism careers. It’s been a pleasure to mentor you, Trinady, and I wish I had gotten more time with you Ariana. You are both so inspiring to me, and I know you’ll change this basement for the better.

Noah Levine, film columnist and social media strategist extraordinaire, I am going to miss telling you to stop distracting me and firing you six times a day. You are so talented in so many ways, and I know you’ve got a bright future in film criticism ahead of you. 

I love y’all dearly and the last two years together have been magical.

I would like to thank my long stream of editors for the time and patience they invested into my training as a reporter. Thank you Ellie Breed, Chris Duncan, Charles Liu, Andrea Tinning, Tiana Woodard and Trinady. Y’all … Y’all really hired me and kept hiring me. Thank you.

I would also like to thank Forrest Milburn, Ellie (again), Alex Briseño, Catherine Marfin and Lisa Nhan for being the most involved string of managing editors to have ever lived. You’re all iconic, and I’m going to be harassing you with my love online for the rest of our natural lives.

And props to my dog, Doc Holliday, for keeping me sane.