I started off as a lowly copy editor five years ago before clawing my way up here, so something in editing appeals to me. Especially if it pays more than minimum wage.

I’ve been at The Lumberjack for a long time now. I mean, we’re talking a ridiculously long time. Ten semesters have come and gone, and while I’ll still be around for one final go in the fall, I’m stepping down as editor-in-chief and passing the reins to the more-than-capable Lisa Bivens. As a result, I have to get a little misty-eyed and reminiscent about how far the paper has come, even though no tears exist anywhere in my body.

Since I started, the newspaper has gone through two redesigns, three general managers, three faculty advisers, five sales directors and hundreds of reporters. Thousands of students have graduated from NAU, including many who started a year or two after I did. The campus has added several great new classroom buildings, and killed off almost all the parking on North Campus.

So here I stand at the brink. I watched other editor-in-chiefs write their farewell messages, and it always seemed sappy to me. I hate sappy. Sappy goes somewhere on the hatred list between children’s laughter and kittens (okay, you caught me — I love kittens). The goodbyes read more like platitudes than anything to which the reader could relate, so I’m going to mix it up a bit and leave you with a list of hopes for you, me, and The Lumberjack as a whole.

• I hope the newspaper continues to prosper and offer opportunites to anyone on campus who is interested. We’ve expanded our staff to the point where at least 60 percent of our employees are pursuing majors outside of the School of Communication (and that doesn’t include people who changed their major to journalism after working here). More than 100 students each semester work for The Lumberjack, and that opportunity should continue to expand in the semesters to come.

• I hope JackCentral.com continues to thrive and increase its readership. It took us a long time to get consistent content and a legitimate look for the site, but the past year and a half we’ve finally gotten there, to the point where we were used as an example of a professional newspaper site at the CNBAM awards this spring. There were four times as many comments this semester as there were the previous two combined — the credit for which goes to you guys — and five times as many unique hits as in the fall alone. With Wade McMillin pioneering a ton of unique content for the site in addition to the weekly newspaper stories, look for JackCentral to prosper even more next semester.

• I hope NAU can successfully navigate these stormy economic times. The state government has done virtually nothing to protect the future of higher education in Arizona, so the onus for shouldering the cuts falls on John Haeger and the administration, an unenviable task. To this point, Haeger has been transparent and thorough in describing the changes that have to be made to cut the necessary funds; that level of discourse between the university and the students will be vital in the months to come.

• I hope there’s a job in this industry — or in teaching — out there somewhere that I’ll enjoy and do some good in. The rising unemployment rate (and every other economic story) has been beaten into the ground by now, but the reality still remains. I started off as a lowly copy editor five years ago before clawing my way up here, so something in editing appeals to me. Especially if it pays more than minimum wage.

• I hope you all find happiness in some way, and take the time to enjoy the moment. It seems like we get busier and busier every day, but I truly feel that it’s important to set aside time for yourself, your friends and your family. No matter what else happens, good friends and family will always be there.

It’s been a hell of a ride, but the radiator exploded and the car has broken down. It’s time to head off to wherever the next road will take me.