I could not have imagined four and a half years ago that I would be saying goodbye to Hilltop Views. But the day has come to bid farewell to the musky and homely confines of Andre Hall.

I remember the first budget meeting I ever went to in the fall of 2006. I had never written a news story, but Michele Kay had convinced me to attend a meeting to see if any stories interested me. Michele is one of the big reasons that I became curious about journalism in the first place. I remember her telling me how she became a journalist, and the one thought I had afterwards was that she had conviction. To me, a successful journalist must have conviction, and the belief that the story they are writing means something to someone else.

These past four-and-a-half years has taught me a few things. No matter what, I can’t help but ask myself “So what?” every time I write or pitch a story. I’ll always wonder if I asked enough questions in an interview, and I’ll never forget to run the numbers. All of this is thanks to Jena Heath. If I am lucky, I will have half the drive she has someday.

To say that I didn’t enjoy my time at the paper would be a lie. It never seemed like a job, because work shouldn’t be so much fun. Few of us will admit it, but I think we all secretly enjoy the stress of tracking down writers, laying out pages at the last minute and sharing a newsroom half the size of most classrooms. I know I did, and it had every bit to do with the people I worked with.

With egos checked at the door, everyone on staff has had a shared dedication for producing a polished and thoughtful publication. I feel grateful to have worked with students so willing to create something for their fellow classmates without expecting any praise or recognition. My only hope is that everyone on staff will continue to improve our newspaper and strive to make it as important to their fellow Hilltoppers as it is to all of us.

Sincerely,

Phillip Bradshaw

Goodbyes are one of the hardest things people have to do. Yet our lives are filled with them and our memories are plagued by the ideas of a beginning and an ending. This may sound dark to some, but goodbyes present a unique opportunity to start fresh and test your limits.

An era is about to end, and as graduation approaches we prepare ourselves to say goodbye to the group of people with whom we have forged these formative years of our lives.

Writing for Hilltop Views was a unique experience and as such it filled my last year at St. Edward’s University with a number of experiences I had never had before. As a journalist and as a student, being part of Hilltop Views has taught me lessons not only about writing, editing and the general inner-workings of a newspaper, but it has also helped me find a voice.

There is so much still to experience and to learn, but to the ones yet to graduate there is nothing more terrifying than the idea of taking off the security blanket. The concept of entering an unknown universe where you must have your game on or you may risk being left behind is scary. At the same time, it is something extremely gratifying and thrilling to put your mind around the fact that the whole world is before you. Here comes the time to test what you know and to embrace new ideas of things you thought you had a good grip on.

This might be a goodbye, and an ending to an unforgettable time in our lives. Yet this marks the birth of something beyond our wildest dreams and expectations. It symbolizes the first steps of a growing child ready to take on the world, eager for his surroundings.

                    Sincerely,

                Danny Salazar