It’s the end of the academic year, and I’m sitting in my house quarantined with my roommates. It’s the perfect way to cap off a perfect year, right?

Yet somehow I can’t help but to be thankful, and not in some “always look on the bright side” kind of way. This is the first time all year I’ve been able to take a break — the first time I haven’t had to drive to campus and back multiple times a day. 

I’m spending more time with my roommates all day, and feel happier now than I have in months. This year has been one of pure exhaustion and desperation, and I’m just glad it’s over.

Yet throughout the year — throughout most of my years at RIT — I could always rely on one group to be there for me. Reporter has consistently supported me and I’m forever grateful.

Even as we’ve been stretched to our thinnest, I cannot overstate how proud I am of our staff. Despite a pandemic, quarantines and being tired beyond meaningful operation, they pulled through to create amazing work. 

There’s always room for improvement, and topics that should have been covered more closely. But the level of work that has gone into what we’ve done has already overwhelmed much of our staff, and has even driven many staff members away from the organization due to the workload and admittedly low compensation. There will always be missed opportunities and missing coverage, but I cannot ask any more of my staff than the amazing work they have already done.

We’ve covered RIT’s COVID response, the presidential election, ran an entire issue devoted to topics deserving of more awareness and launched Distorter with a release party despite the pandemic. In this issue alone we cover the history of vaccines, investigate the end destination of our tuition money, discuss citizen journalism, dive into fashion and I personally discuss the Rochester mayoral race.

It’s been a tumultuous year full of surprises and disappointments. Thank you to an amazing staff who has persevered through it all, and to friends who I couldn’t imagine a life at RIT without.