One order of protection. Four internships. Twelve all-nighters for a total of 133 credit hours. And as of today, 472 Daily Beacons.

From first hand experience, I can tell you that a lot can happen in four years.

I locked myself on the roof of an Ag Campus building. I ...

I have decided to devote this final missive to something crazy and wonderful: this year's Beacon staff. They are all fantastic, but for the sake of column space I will be focusing on the seniors. They are some of the most remarkable people I've ever known, and I ...

On the whole, UT is not a pretty campus.

There's construction galore, Prez Court looks as if it was built in an era of architecture where excessive seas of concrete were considered aesthetically pleasing, and the statues on campus are either random (Europa and the Bull) or an eye-sore ...

There's a lot of holidays in the world that I don't understand.

I don't know why there needs to be a Towel Day, and I don't see the point of Pi Day or Talk Like a Pirate Day.

While I may not value these holidays, their ...

The most rewarding experiences in life are unexpected.

I stumbled into The Daily Beacon office on August 27, 2009, a timid freshmen looking to get involved on campus. The newsroom was loud and crazy (like always) and I inched along the back wall to a friendly looking girl sitting at ...

Open access to public records is the lifeblood of journalism. Unfortunately for The Daily Beacon staff, and ultimately our readership, UT's administration operates under a creative interpretation of the phrase "open access."

An iron triangle has evolved between UTPD, UT Media Relations and the communications department in Andy Holt ...

The future scares the living crap out of me. After years of planning and interning and applying to over 500 jobs this winter with absolutely no fear or hesitation, it's here.

And I can admit I am terrified.

My dream job called me a few weeks ago. I will ...

Tuesday was an interesting day in the Daily Beacon office.

Besides the fact that I accidentally wore two different socks and one of our editors brought in a copious amount of Girl Scout Cookies, Tuesday was the first day that I realized that I had been rendered obsolete.

When I ...

Thirty-eight years ago today, Phnom Penh fell to the communist Khmer Rouge, resulting in the subsequent death of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians. Days like this haunt human history, but they quickly flit from collective consciousness mere years after occurring.

It's sobering to dwell on fickle-natured time — how rapidly ...

Butt-chuggers. Shackers. Drunk girls. Cliquey frat rats.Chances are the first commonality that comes to mind after hearing these words are fraternities and sororities. As the tail end of a Greek-filled year comes to a close, the students of UT are left with bittersweet tastes in their mouth for a ...

Living victims don't exist.

But don't judge that statement too quickly. I'm not downplaying significant events in people's lives. I'm not saying I believe in belittling people who undergo significant emotional trauma or physical ailments. I don't want to downplay experiences or haunting memories ...

Be careful what you put on the Internet.

That's the advice my sister gave me when I first got a Facebook profile my freshman year of high school.

Knowing me all too well (especially my proclivity for stupid jokes and my passion for Corgi pictures), my sister laid out ...

She was extraordinarily patient, provided she got her own way in the end. Those words from the Iron Lady hung on my bedroom wall from ages 12 to 15. Margaret Thatcher died on Monday, and losing her feels a little like losing a parent.

For a preteen girl who preferred ...