Dear Editor,

This has been a fun ride. I really wish I was not writing this letter because I will miss you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write for such a great paper. 

It showed me that I am not as bad at writing as I thought I was. It showed me that even though I doubted what I could do, as long as I just gave it a try, I could make something that would be considered good by some standards. 

It has been a really fun year and a very enjoyable one at that. I really like just walking around campus and just dropping off the papers. It was calming in a way, except for those days that were full of rain and wind, but they were still enjoyable. I got to walk around downtown quite often, and got to see what Platteville had instore. 

I would recommend to anyone who is new to campus to just take a stroll downtown — quite a few shops that I would recommend people to check out. 

Thank you for letting me be the Circulation Manager, though it was not much of an election for it like the other positions. It was really wonderful working with everyone. 

I may not have gone to most production nights, nor did I stay for too long, but I enjoyed every moment. The banter back and forth, the way people can goof off but still get work done in a relatively timely manner was such a joy to be part of and witness. I am really going to miss being a part of The Exponent. 

John, thank you for letting me know about the vacant position. Thank you, Natalie and Veronica, for making office hours more fun so I look forward to them. Thank you all for such an enjoyable academic year. 

I am so glad that we got a good number of new faces this semester. I hope that people continue to read The Exponent, and I hope that you continue to get new faces. 

Hopefully, you can get closer to the popularity that you had before the pandemic. To anyone reading this, if you would like to write for The Exponent please get in contact with the Editor-In-Chief, which can be found on Pioneerlink or can be found in any physical copy. You can write about almost anything. From concerts to art shows, to sports, or maybe a weird YouTube video, do not be afraid to reach out and submit a story. 

Once again, thank you for a wonderful year. I’ll be back from time to time, and will let you all know when I’m in town. Until then keep up the great work. You are all doing such great job.

Sincerely,      

Jelsim “Jello” Garcia-Bautista