It’s a roller coaster ride. It begins very slowly, building up to the ultimate drop. That’s exactly what happens too; it drops. You lose your stomach, your thoughts run through your mind faster than the roller coaster can even attempt to move and your journey begins.

You don’t know what is going to happen next and, quite frankly, you can’t wait for it to end.

However, when it’s over, all you want to do is go back, wait your turn in line and do it all over again.

But this time you want to come back and do it even better.

There is no better way to describe my life as editor in chief this semester other than a roller coaster ride.

Believe me, anyone who knows anything about me knows that I hate roller coasters.

At the beginning of the semester, my title as editor in chief scared me entirely. I drove to school each morning nervous. My stomach would ache, my hands would sweat and I’d think to myself, “What’s going to go wrong today?”

Well, it’s 12 weeks later and I still walk into the newsroom not knowing what’s going to go wrong.

However, my stomach no longer aches, my hands no longer sweat and I know that whatever the problem, everyone affiliated with the Union will work together to overcome it.

There are various problems we, as a team, have encountered: not knowing what we were doing, photos not being edited right, stories not being edited right, not meeting deadlines, publishing controversial articles.

Dealing with the controversies that stories created, having two sports editors quit, having to find their replacements, having to learn how to manage, answer and solve problems for my fellow editors-were just some of the things I’ve had to handle.

You’d think we would’ve given up already, but speaking for myself, I am barely getting started.

We have gone through many obstacles.

But we have published real news, the kind everyone ends up talking about. For that, I am proud to have been part of such a hardworking group of individuals.

I am leaving this semester feeling proud to have been the leader of a staff that gave all it could, editors who tried the best they knew how, a photo editor who cropped, sized and showed up whenever we needed him, advisers who encouraged, understood, helped and really held us together as a team.

I don’t want to leave all of this behind just yet. I am not ready to give thanks and just walk away.

About a week ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come back, stand in line and get on this roller coaster ride all over again. Now I know I will.

Call me crazy, but I want this all over again. I want to get on the same roller coaster, but this time I want a new and better experience.

As I sit here and type this, I am already thinking of the problems we will encounter trying to get this semester’s last issue out.

However, I feel great anticipation in seeing how we will overcome them.

I have learned so much about myself this semester. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for this experience.

I wouldn’t have discovered my passion, and I would still be the shy person who allows everything to pass her by.

Well, not anymore. Once again, I will get on this roller coaster. But this time, I will embrace it, rather than fear it.