The holidays always seem to bring out the most festive, sentimental and nostalgic mood in everyone. And personally, this year has been no different.

As we go into the holiday season and exit 2016, I can’t help but be thankful for my time spent in (and occasionally out) of the newsroom this past quarter.

I have been lucky enough to fall into this position with the absolute best group of people surrounding me.

This staff has handled this quarter with grace, learning on the run and keeping up with everything that life has had to throw at them.

They have taken their time at the paper and they’ve capitalized on every second of it.

They’ve accumulated beautiful photos that have captured some of the most critical moments of these past few months.  

They’ve written stories that have covered everything from the thrill and excitement of theatre and marching band, to the tragic loss of a CWU alumnus.

They’ve designed pages that could put even some of the best college papers in the country to shame—something that even the top collegiate judges have agreed upon.

Our trip to D.C. was by far one of the highlights for the entire staff and only further solidified my faith in this crew. After only two issues in their new roles (and the first stories from the majority of our reporters), they created one of the best issues I have ever seen.

They went, they saw and they conquered schools from across the nation in the ACP Best of Show competition. We’re talking universities with beautiful newsrooms, state-of-the-art equipment and deep pockets.

But this group has proven that none of that matters. If you have the drive, the passion and the commitment to come in every day and get work done, others will recognize your efforts.

Maybe I’m biased (clearly), but I have been blown away by the talent that has walked through the Observer’s doors in the past three months.

The dedication and commitment they show makes me want to be a better editor for them, and that is something that I will continue to work towards in the coming quarter.   

Not only is the staff absolutely amazing, but the CWU and Ellensburg community has been incredibly receptive and welcoming.

As a community you have told us what you enjoyed reading, you’ve inflated the egos of our photographers and you’ve even shared what you think we could improve upon. Most importantly you’ve made it enjoyable to produce a paper every week.

We strive to improve each and every day, and hearing feedback from all of you helps steer this paper in the direction that is best for everyone.

This year I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with incredible people within this university and community.

The friendships I have made and expanded upon this quarter are due primarily to this paper, and for that I will be forever grateful.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are looking forward to a new year filled with new opportunities.

For everyone who grabs a copy of this paper off the stands every week, or checks in online or through social media, thank you for continuing to support student media.

We hope that you all enjoy this upcoming break and we’ll see you in 2017, Wildcats. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

-McKenzie Lakey, EIC