It is a truth universally acknowledged that a newspaper in possession of an Arts & Entertainment Section must be in want of an editor like me. Someone who lives and breathes this stuff—who wakes up in the morning eager to play some Lego Harry Potter or Portal 2, and falls asleep at night with the latest Vertigo comic in his hands. And over the past two years, I have done my best to translate my passion for all things entertainment-related into interesting stories on the pages of Technician. I hope my passion for the subject has come across to you, gentle readers, and that the past few years of the A&E section have met the high standards set by the rest of the dedicated staff with whom I have worked each day.

Over the past two years, there have been some amazing moments. I interviewed Jesse Eisenberg and Aaron Sorkin about The Social Network, for example, and Will Forte and Ryan Philippe about Macgruber. I also covered the Major League Gaming Tournament when it came to Raleigh, visited Ubisoft’s studios in Montreal to get an exclusive preview of Assassin’s Creed II, and interviewed AMPAS President Tom Sherak about the 2010 Academy Awards. And while I’m very proud the high-profile stories I’ve covered, some of the smaller, more local stories have been equally satisfying. Talking to the guys behind the N.C. State web series The Suite was one highlight, and writing a three-part story on game development in the Triangle entitled “The Best Game in Town,” opened up doors I never knew existed.

Looking back though, a lot of my best Technician memories are about the people. Laura Wilkinson and I came to the paper at the same time, and it has been a pleasure working with her every day since. She’ll be editor-in-chief next year, and I sincerely regret the fact that I won’t be here to experience it. Then there are the design editors, who have made my work look amazing on the page each day. Biko Tushinde and Taylor Cashdan are the unsung heroes of the paper, and I have appreciated their patience when dealing with some of my crazier ideas. And to my writers—thank you for your consistently amazing work. You’re the best group of writers at the paper, and it is your hard work, week after week, that has made the section what it is.

Now it is time to for me graduate, and throw my hat into the ring of the real world. My time at Technician has been an incredible journey, and I sincerely wish it wasn’t coming to an end. For anyone who has enjoyed my work, I invite you to follow me as I take this next step. I will continue to write, and continue to put everything I have into my work—and I promise to make it worth your while.