As all of us know, the senior’s last day was today.

Being on the News Production staff that was mostly made-up of seniors, our classroom is now down to five of us underclassmen.

This staff is a family, and now there’s a huge chunk missing.

I miss the rest of the family already!

If you read the printed issue of “The Bugle” yesterday, you would’ve read Rachel Trujillo’s column.

Rachel Trujillo was my editor. Our relationship is the most love-hate relationship I have ever experienced. One day, we would be on the same page, and my column would be good: I’d be on task, doing my work, on a mission, etc. The next day I’d be slacking and tired, and Rachel would yell at me to get my crap together and be productive.

We were on a never-ending roller coaster, and we conversed with each other like bickering sisters. (I know she loves me though.)  

But she was the one who helped me grow as a writer and as a person. I’ve grasped how to develop an idea of mine and turn it into a column with a strong view and a message for my readers. Rachel taught me how.

As a person, I’ve grown to realize more of my potential. I know I am capable of making people look at a topic differently and working hard.

She was the one who told me if something was wrong in my column: if it needed more detail, if I said “you” too much and of course fixed my overuse-age of ellipses and incorrect parenthesis. 

It’s weird not having her yell at me for things. And in all honesty, I miss it.

I miss the rest of the family, too.

I miss Forest with his color-block shirt. I miss Lizze and her sassy comebacks. I miss Monika doing her announcements every day class started and saying her most famous line, “You know what to do.” I miss Nick and his constant bickering with Strecker. I miss Craig and his “swerve” kicks.

Katie Rippe and Taylor Balleau haven’t left completely yet, but I’m going to miss their quotations of vines and constant sarcasm.

Seeing our family part ways is bitter-sweet. These seniors are growing into striving adults with a purpose in life, and I know they’ll all do great in their college careers. 

I’m so glad to have been on staff with  all of these amazing people.