Dear Editor,

I want to start by offering my sincerest apologies to you. I know that I have been a pain in your ass. I know that I have not been the easiest writer on you your team. I give you excuses for late or poorly written articles. You don't deserve excuses; only the best. For this and other reasons that may not be coming to mind, I am sorry.

But most importantly, thank you.

Thank you for the work that you have poured into this operation since you started it at Cal Lutheran early last semester. I have seen your valiant effort take its contagious effect on the people around you. I have seen you try harder than you thought possible and I have seen you succeed. You have effectively taken on roles as club president, marketer, treasurer and cheerleader. You searched for answers to questions you and your team had, and if you could not find the answer, you found someone who did. Thank you for never giving up on us.

I know what it is like to run an organization that is entirely dependent on volunteer services of its members. It is difficult and trying. Rallying the moral of the troops, us writers, is difficult in itself let alone around midterms and finals. Communication at its best was mediocre, and the best answer you could hope for when asking about weekly meetings was a solid maybe. But I never had to start the organization. I never had to compete with other organizations on campus. I never had to produce a product weekly and ensure my group members were producing product as well.

But you have. And you have done so gracefully and admirably. And for that, I thank you.

Finally, I want to thank you for believing in us, your writers. You didn't judge us for what we wrote, regardless of whether you agreed. You did push us to be the best writers. You forced us to think outside the box. You forced us into the spaces of our writing where we wrestle with our thoughts. You gave us a means by which we were free to express our beliefs, our fears, our own demons. And you never, never made us feel as though we were alone. We knew we never needed to be afraid.

Your love for writing, but more so, your love for us, your writers, is beyond deserving. For the amount of hell we put you through, thank you for always acting out of love.

I will take what I have learned from Odyssey with me onto my next stages in life, but it's the lessons of virtue that you have taught me by the way you live that I will take with me to the end.

Your love for your team and what they do is why other clubs on campus are in awe of Odyssey.

Thank you, Editor-in-Chief.