"I have never worked so hard doing something I love" should be written on my tombstone after this semester’s Blazer load at JJC. As the Editor-in-Chief this semester, I finally believe I cultivated a sense of what a newsroom is like: hell in a cramped cubicle that smells like old food, rubber cement and musty newspapers. But if you live and breathe for writing the news (like the Blazer staff do), you learn to love the smell and eat the food. That is just what I did this year. You also learn to love the people, who in a newsroom come from as diverse of backgrounds as the ambassadors at the United Nations. That is what you do. That is what I did.

However, my term as editor would not have been this cliché, this perfect a journalist story, without my advisor, Bob Marcink. Marcink has been my mentor, my confidant, my friend and my support-system from the beginning of my whole foray into journalism here at JJC. Never have I had the type of motivation Marcink has given me, and for that I can thank him for making me a journalist. The funny thing is, out of the numerous compliments and complaints about my work here in F-1009, my favorite back-handed compliment came Sunday night at the wee hours of final layout: "You have a journalist’s elbows," said Marcink to me. I looked at the calloused peninsula of my arm and just smiled. It was the beginning of my career and I was already looking the part.

But, as I said, there are more people involved in the Blazer than just in-Chief and Adviser. I would love for Alissa Pagels, Emily Dow, Mary Schultz-Moody, Randal Donley and Kristen Rohder to know how much I appreciate the help they gave me and the friendships that have blossomed. I adore all of you; you are my people. I am here for you like you guys were here for me through my venture as in-Chief.

Jim Sheldon, Shawn Faust and Nick Domberg--be sure to carry the torch. It isn’t easy, but you all are so talented that the Blazer is lucky to have you. As for those boys that are leaving--Matt Sheehan and Brandon Daun--good luck to you in your endeavors. Matt, you have to get out of here.

As for me, and now that I have finished the perverbial shout-outs, I will be transfering where the wind takes me.