Opinion > May 1, 2008

By Kell Wilson | Editor in chief

As the 2007-2008 school year comes to a close, we here at the Old Gold & Black have to say farewell to all of our senior staff members who have spent the last four years dedicating their time and effort toward shaping the paper into what it is today.

Outgoing Editor in Chief Caitlin Kenney started working at the OGB as a production assistant during her first semester of her freshman year. She quickly rose in the ranks and was appointed the Life editor the second semester of her freshman year, a position she kept for a year and a half.

A dedicated journalist and creative genius, Kenney not only improved the writing of her reporters but also designed numerous innovative layouts that drew more people to the often neglected back pages of the newspaper. After taking a break to study abroad, she returned from London as the newly-appointed editor in chief. Kenney did not hesitate at all before stepping into this position, designing and publishing a football tabloid to honor the team’s success mere weeks after she took over.

During her tenure, she also made several stylistic changes to the newspaper as a whole. Kenney is also responsible for recruiting several enthusiastic freshman staff members due to her training program at the beginning of the this school year. We will miss her words of wisdom and pep talks when things get overwhelming.

Jae Haley is another senior who will be sorely missed after graduation. Also having been involved with the paper since freshman year, Haley held a different position each semester before settling into the managing editor spot the second half of her junior year. With a passion for feature stories that emerged during her time as news editor, she took charge of the OGB’s features board from the get go. Always looking for an intriguing story idea, Haley made sure all sections had a feature article every week.

She is also responsible for a new tradition within the newspaper: the Graduation Issue. Haley took the initiative to brainstorm and organize the tabloid that highlights seniors from different majors. It is a project we hope to carry on long after she has left.

Retired opinion editor Jeff Merski stepped up to the plate and took on the position in the middle of his freshman year. He has written countless articles during his university career ranging in topic from Hannah Montana to the economy. In the office he is most well known for his unfathomable obsession with flying and Las Vegas. Yet his advice and experience will be greatly missed.

Sports editor emeritus Ryan Durham faithfully covered university athletics for two years at the OGB, writing football and basketball articles himself. He helped put together several basketball preview tabloids as well as the football tabloid. Durham’s trademark phrases and congenial personality kept several editors laughing in the wee hours of the morning during production nights. Bid it.

Also leaving us is Liza Greenspun, who held the position of news editor for a semester and a half. One of our most trusted reporters, Greenspun was always willing to write a last-minute article on breaking news or Wednesday night events. She also did countless feature stories and the occasional restaurant or concert review. Her passion and journalistic ability will undoubtedly take her far after graduation.

Former Life editor Mary Beth Ballard will leave for Colorado just a short time after graduating. In spring 2007 she left the OGB to become ehe editor in chief of The Student, but she still wrote a bi-weekly column for us during her senior year

Our most reliable and controversial cartoonist, Will Warren, is also graduating. Having drawn political cartoons for the OGB all four of his college years, it’s been an honor for all of us at the paper to see how much he has grown as an artist. During his junior year Warren started submitting his comic strip, Lummox, to the Life section. This strip eventually went on to win the prestigious Charles M. Schulz award. We wish him luck in his future endeavors as a cartoonist.

Seniors Molly Nevola and Blake Brittain both deserve to be recognized for their dedication and commitment to the newspaper. They were two of our most reliable reporters and it will be incredibly hard to find others just as capable.

It’s difficult to imagine the Old Gold & Black without these eight outstanding members. We wish we could keep them around forever for knowledge and entertainment, but unfortunately we have to let them go. The whole staff of the OGB wishes you congratulations on your upcoming commencement and offers its wholehearted thanks for making the newspaper what it is today.

Kell Wilson is a junior English major from Colleyville, Texas.