Hi there, Chippewa Valley. So hey, as the headline sort of implies, this is my last issue as Co-Managing Editor of Volume One. Part of me wants to use this last bit of writing to reflect dramatically about, ya know, beginnings … endings … ooh, middles? Love a good middle.

But no. I’m not gonna do that. Instead I’d like to just share a couple mems (that’s short for memories) from my seven years working at Volume One. There’s some good ones!

Like the time I got to throw out the first pitch at an E.C. Express game when Volume One staff spent a night on the fan deck. Was not ready for that one. I also was a little drunk. Did you know they just give you free booze at Express games?

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There’s also the time we all went curling for some staff bonding and I ripped the crotch of my pants in front of everyone. I also ripped my pants getting into the Comedy Van at Volume One’s big Best Night shindig one year. And a different time just sitting down at my desk on a normal work day! I gotta get stronger pants.

Or the time I had to announce on the mic at Volume One’s Sounds Like Summer Concert that someone’s child was missing (not in the job description). Thankfully the child was found minutes later with their face painted like a flower. Love a happy ending.

There’s also the time we all went curling for some staff bonding and I ripped the crotch of my pants in front of everyone. I also ripped my pants getting into the Comedy Van at Volume One’s big Best Night shindig one year. And a different time just sitting down at my desk on a normal work day! I gotta get stronger pants.

Somewhere there’s a video clip of me getting slammed in the face with a football that we shot for our True North multimedia stage show. Also for that show, another staffer and I tracked down a Pikachu costume, but we ended up cutting that bit the day before the show. Trust me, it would’ve been a mess.

But for real, I have so many good memories of good times with good people that I never could’ve had without this job, this magazine, and this community.

Over the last seven years, I’ve fallen in love with the Valley over and over again just simply by working here, and that’s pretty cool if you ask me.

See ya around!