The dimly lit office of UWAC 105 houses The Lake Front, student newspaper. Computer screens illuminate the modest-sized office full of character and dreams. Walls adorned with awards, posters, and post-it notes make the working arrangement more enjoyable. For Lake Front employees it’s more than a place we work at and get paid doing stuff we enjoy, it’s become a hangout, of sorts.

That’ll all change in a few days for the graduating seniors of The Lake Front. We’ll move on and leave the place we’ve affectionately come to know as The LF. Although our experiences differ I can confidently state that The Lake Front has allowed us to hone our craft; especially with the guidance of our adviser, Kay O’Donnell. She has always had complete faith in every individual who has entered The Lake Front eager to be a part of the dynamic.

From a person looking into our office, it would seem as if we’re a bunch of slackers, checking our e-mail, killing time between classes and complaining about the approaching deadline. But that isn’t who we are. We’re a bunch of overachievers who constantly strive to do bigger and better things with our lives. We’re the kids who stay up all night writing our stories, updating the Web site, e-mailing each other ideas and suggestions for the newspaper and the site. We’re constantly working and we hardly ever complain about it.

As for me, I’ve spent day one of my four-year tenure at OLLU working at The Lake Front. I’ve become the writer that I am today and have had the absolute pleasure of working with such an amazing and talented group of individuals during the years. This semester presented the opportunity of being a part of something new at The Lake Front — an online site. The experience was an eye-opener but was the most fun I’ve ever had while working.

I know that no job will ever compare to my working experience at The Lake Front. I’ll never forget the pizza runs to Little Caesars, the hourlong discussions about the difference between burritos and tacos with staff members from El Paso, the people that I worked with that have forever changed my life and, of course, the rush everyone feels when deadline approaches.

This is only the beginning for us. For the graduating seniors a new life filled with new opportunities awaits, and for the staff members of The Lake Front who will stay behind there are plenty of unforgettable (and forgettable) memories in store for them. My Lake Front experience has been worth it and I’m happy that I was given the opportunity to be part of it all.