Wow. Five semesters of writing objectively and informing students about the world around them, and now, I get to inform my readers about what’s going on in my world.

Well, as the famous saying goes, “this ship has sailed.” After four years at Kent State, I’m moving on to the next chapter of my life: the real world.

Gosh, in a few short weeks, I won’t be able to skip my afternoon “obligations” (like, say, class!) and grab some beers with friends. I won’t be able to press the alarm in and think, “Eh, I’ll just get the notes from someone tomorrow.” And nursing my hangover from the comforts of my futon will be replaced with actually getting REM-stage sleep on Thursday nights.

But, you know what? I can honestly say that I am ready to move on.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have truly loved college, and I wouldn’t trade my experiences for the entire boxed DVD collection of “Sex and the City,” but a girl’s gotta know when to leave the party.

And this four-year party has treated me well. In fact, the only post-party “clean-up” I have to do is make sure to properly thank everyone here who has made my time at Kent State a truly remarkable learning experience.

To the School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty, you have “molded” (thank you, Professor Ann Schierhorn!) and shaped my writing to make it the best it can be. You have taught me so many valuable skills that I will carry with me in all my future reporting jobs. I am forever in debt to you all.

And to my “favorites.” You know who you are; how could you forget? I remind you every day that we’re all best friends. I think God might actually be sick of hearing how thankful I am that you’re in my life.

To all my fellow staff members at the Daily Kent Stater: You are so very talented, and I thank you for having faith in me each semester. Producing a daily publication is a team effort, and I will never forget how I was once a part of such a wonderful group of editors, writers, designers, photographers, copy editors and proofreaders.

And what proper, mature goodbye would be complete without thanking those who have really made you grow as a person?

To my roommate junior year, I have debated contacting you for a long time. So, I’m thinking, what better way to say I’m sorry than to do it in a newspaper column that you, along with so many other people, will read? For what it’s worth, I am sorry and I hope you are happy in all future endeavors.

And to all my LER professors, thank you for opening my mind to something other than Associated Press style, the proper usage of a semicolon and the inverted pyramid news article.

In fact, I want to sum up my Kent State experience with a quote from one of my anthropology professors (definitely a “why-am-I-even-taking-this?!” type of class):

“There’s room in the mind for more than one explanation of the world.”

Thank you Kent State for letting my mind expand to see so many exquisite views of this world.

Sara Macho is a graduating newspaper journalism major and a campus editor for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].