CONTRIBUTED BY JULIA SAND

The amount of weird it feels to be writing my last segment in the Winonan is incredible. Didn’t I just start?! Since freshman year, I have been employed with this paper, and the gratitude I feel for it is plentiful.

While I am not a fan of lamenting on endings, I am a fan of closure. I am not a fan of goodbyes, but I am a fan of thank-yous. There are many to be had, because in the past three years I have met and worked with some down-right damn fabulous people.

Thank you first and foremost to the amazing editorial staff this year: it is because of you, your wonderfully exotic attitudes and laughter, that I survived all Monday nights. We endured together the clan of ants that tried to take over our office, and because of that feat I know we could have accomplished anything together.  Allison, you deserve the “retweet and favorite” crown; Molly, around every corner I will be leary of you perching, and will be sad when you aren’t there; Sam, it wasn’t even my grandma, but your weekly conversations still totally warmed my heart; Taylor,   every time we needed just one more photo edited, you always came in clutch even when it was way late; Jordan, your s’more cupcakes will never be forgotten; and Kylie, you left us far too soon, and we are all jealous of your new school. You all made this paper and production so memorable.

To the writing and photography staff: it has been a pleasure to work with all of you, and I truly wish you the best in wherever life takes you.

Thank you to the advertising and business staff, Ana and Torey, for doing such great work. Thanks to Joe Reed who helped us kill the ants and for always helping us to get one extra key for the squad, and to Tracy Rahim for helping keep the Winonan afloat, without you two this great organization wouldn’t exist. Thank you for all of your guidance.

And thank you to professor and advisor Tom Grier for the countless and priceless advice you have always readily handed out and for always being real. You have without a doubt made a lasting impact, and I sincerely thank you for everything you had done.

Lastly, thanks to you, Winonan, for being the thing that brougt me out of my comfort zone that first year of college. You were the first club I joined and had it not been for you I wouldn’t have met the people that led me to others. You pushed me to ask random people random questions and led to amazing conversation. You helped me meet people from many different backgrounds and learn things I wouldn’t have learned without you. You helped me see the value in persepective, feel the physicality of accomplishment and find what it is that fuels my passion. Thank you for teaching me how to be a better leader and for challenging me. Thank you for reminding me every day that every single person we pass on the sidewalk has a story. Thank you, mostly, for bringing so many great peope into my life.

Allison, my successor, it’s all yours! I know you’ll do great things.

Th-th-th-that’s all, folks.