The Royal Purple office is a fun place to be on Monday production nights. From “quote-board-worthy” conversations to kazoo serenades, we somehow find the fun on deadline.

That being said, we are forced to say goodbye to four dedicated and talented students this semester. The missing presence of Carley Rymkus, Zach Hicks, Lynn Marolt and Heena Ahmed will be evident in many ways.

These students have made the most of their time here at the RP, moving on to bigger and better things. As Editor in Chief, I would like to say thank you for what all four of you have done during your time here.

Carley, I have had the privilege of working alongside you as a staff writer and editor since my freshman year. As managing editor, you have provided an unwavering support in everything we do. Your dedication and reliability will be truly missed. The office won’t be the same without your sparkling personality and your ability to make a good thing out of a bad situation. I will especially miss your sparkly shoes with the hole in it and pictures of your 99-year-old great-grandmother.

Zach, our sports guy. You have taken every possible extra step in putting your heart and soul into what you do. Your storytelling abilities are evident in all of your pieces, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing your confidence in writing grow during your time here.  Some of the stories you have told will certainly be in the RP hall of fame, especially your green beer video tutorial.

And remember, you’ll always be the funniest guy I know, and I’ll believe you if you say that walking stick was made from a lightning strike.

Lynn, I can’t begin to explain to you how appreciative I am of the work you have done at the Royal Purple. It takes a strong woman to do what you do, and I think many can attest to that. Your patience and day-to-day commitment to your job as our advertising manager has set a high standard for many years to come. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Heena, working with you this past year has been a pleasure. I know at times we both felt like we wear swimming above our heads, but we seemed to make it work. I thank you for being so patient with me the past year. This has been such a learning experience and I know you will do great in your next step in life.

These four students have done something amazing–they’ve made doing this so-called part-time job look easy on top of school work and other job responsibilities. I can’t wait to see where life takes them, because I know first-hand of their talents, abilities and dedication.