Editor's Note: The Daily's seniors offer their parting words on their last night of production.

Matt Aaronson, Managing Editor

As a writer and an editor for The Michigan Daily, I've covered everything from the minutiae of student government politics to down-to-the-wire state budget negotiations to a misery-stricken Michigan football program (and a completely disoriented community grappling with it). Through the entire experience, I've grown more and learned more than I have from all of my coursework combined.

I may never have a job as exciting or as rewarding as this one. I may never love the place I work or my co-workers as much as I love 420 Maynard and the amazing people I've come to know here. If anything tops it, I'll be enormously fortunate. But I'm already fortunate.

To those who have taught me, challenged me and shown faith in me, thank you. To 2011's editors, I can't wait to see what you produce. You will be overwhelmed, and this job will at times seem impossible. But there's a reason that for 121 years, a class of Daily editors has graduated knowing that there's no place on campus as special as this newsroom.

Nicole Auerbach, Senior Sports Editor

To those who made my experience at the Daily a positive one: I truly thank you for the ridiculous road trips, late nights playing chair monkey and the epic SportsMondays we put together over the past four years. I would never have discovered and developed my passion for sports journalism without you. Some of you still have a year or a few left at 420 Maynard, and I wish you all the best.

To the coaches, players and SIDs I've come across at Michigan: It's been a pleasure working with you and learning from you.

Jillian Berman, Managing News Editor

Like many, I first walked into the doors at 420 Maynard St. hell-bent on becoming a reporter.

But somewhere in between learning the art of crafting the nutgraf and acquiring the patience to fit a wordy headline into a seemingly impossible space, I gained more than the journalism education I was bargaining for.

Through countless late nights filled with editorial (and dinner) decisions I got the chance to have a small say in how the past few years on campus and in Ann Arbor will be remembered. I honed the skills that I came to the Daily to perfect and discovered some that I never knew I had.

But most of all I got to work with brilliant and talented colleagues who became some of my best friends.

For all of these things, I am indebted to this historic institution and to the people who make it their own every day. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it’s a little bit easier knowing that what the Daily gave me, I’ll keep forever.

Jamie Block, Managing Arts Editor

In my three years at the Daily, it has served as my family, my purpose, my passion and the bane of my existence — often all at once. The Daily has given me more than I can ever hope to repay it. First it made me a better writer, and then it made me a better leader. It gave me experience — not just as a journalist but also as a person — that I will appreciate for the rest of my life. But those experiences and that personal growth aren’t the greatest gift the Daily gives. It’s the strength of friendship that can only be forged working together five nights a week until as late at 4 a.m., solving problems together when things go horribly wrong (which they do), being each other’s toughest critics when we’re not busy being our own, sharing a passion — a common goal. The Daily gave me a family here at Michigan. I will never forget the people I met here, and after over 250 nights putting together the best college newspaper in the country, it’s still the friends I made here that make me the most proud.

But as futile as it may be, I do want to give back to the Daily in the one way I can now: some humble advice for its future leaders.

Remember: As much enjoyment as we may get from our work here, this newspaper is bigger than all of us. At the end of the day, what matters is keeping the integrity and high standard of the Daily intact, even if that means making personal sacrifices. This may sound overly pragmatic after what started as such a sentimental goodbye, but it’s at the crux of everything. It was seeing people passionate about making this newspaper great that inspired me to get involved. And if it weren’t for that spark, I would never have been able to get all that I’ve gotten out of the Daily experience.

As I sit here writing this, I wish I could go on forever. It’s not a matter of lack of ideas that’s stopping me — I could fill books with everything I’ve loved and hated here.