A college newspaper is something like an airport terminal. Purgatory.

Talented writers go there to wait to pass on. There exists a promise of future reward, and that’s all the brain can consider.

Until the plane calls for boarding. Then all the possibilities rush through you. All the stores you didn’t stop at. The noodles you did not eat.

Editor-in-Chief Adrian Jimenez Morales delivered a moving speech while shaving his luscious hair to spiritually cleanse for a TV news position in South Florida this summer.

“Studying journalism was the greatest endeavor I’ve undertaken. It has been a crazy experience — with a lot of uncertainties and challenges — but I would do it all over again. Although I’ve run out of energy towards the end, I am more than excited to start working in the world out there. I’m sure The Post will be in good hands.”

He rides off a hero into the sunset; his optimistic and team-oriented run of The Oakland Post will inform much future programming.

Some people cannot wait to catch the flight.

It should be remembered that he was editor-in-chief for one of the most newsworthy semesters in the history of OU’s swampy forest campus.

Mallory Waligora, content editor of the Post, is also anxious to spend her Sunday night doing anything but reading 40 student articles – in favor of a future in Detroit news.

Maria Magnoli, the incumbent editor-in-chief of The Post, remarked on Waligora,

“Mallory, in combination with The Post, transformed my entire OU experience. From the day I met her, I have felt utterly inspired to achieve, and I admire the humble attitude she has while doing it. Mallory Waligora is someone that both Oakland University and I will never forget.”

Some fall in love with the sky and become pilots. They say less – and button their blazer.

James Elling, whose sports editing tenure enjoyed some truly nail-biting basketball, looks forward to bringing his trademark positivity to his next position.

“Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Go Lions, go Pistons, and go make disciples.”

When some people leave the terminal, it makes the wait feel longer because their humor leaves the building.

Time slows.

The marketing director, Ruby Hernandez, is eager to bring her outside-the-box thinking, dedication, and innovation to the broader world of advertising and marketing.

“Thank you, Oakland, for giving me the community I was seeking. Transferring for my senior year was the best decision I ever made. I wasn’t here for long and didn’t leave any sort of legacy at OU, but for those who did get to know me, I hope you carry three important principles with you from knowing me: the first is to be kind; you will never fully know what someone is going through. Second, go where you are seen, as a first-gen Latina, all of you make me feel seen, thank you. And finally, open your heart to new things, whether it’s taking a semester abroad in Australia or simply joining a new club.”

Some people cry at the gate, conflicted by the waltzing emotions of novel opportunity and the loss of what became home.

Meanwhile, some, like politics reporter Matilde Rabajoli, are more eager for a good nap than anything else – of course, followed by a full-blown work bender, “I put the pro in procrastinate.”

Some people fall asleep at the gate.

Features editor Cael Tanner’s eyes meticulously scan the plane and gate, looking for faults and trying to figure out where the plane’s been and where it is going. “In nearly all professions,” he starts and pauses, “one is, from time to time, called upon to do things most other people would consider absurd.”

Wherever his plane goes, it will be unique.

It’s possible that no two planes will land at the same destination.

Ava Webb, chief photo editor for The Post, hustles everyone in for one last photo. The perfect moment before everyone’s flight parts ways. “Life goes on frame by frame; all you have to do is capture it.”

Then there exist a special few who delight in making the wait at the airport better for everyone else, to the point that they almost forget about their flight. Those who think the journey is the happiness in the friends you make, not the destination.

August Wicker shuffles their many stylish bags towards the gate – each with a tasteful set of pins, and a delightfully Cobain-esque outfit. “The past year and a half have been a blast with the Post. Thank you, Posties. Thank you, Garry. Thank you, OU. I’m so grateful to have shared this time with you all, and I hope to put a fraction of this love and energy into everything I do moving forward. Stay woke and go Grizzlies!”

The airport can feel like an absolute drag. There never seems to be enough comfy places to sit and hang out. The right people never want to talk to you, and it seems like you always sit next to the strangest and most bizarre of freaks – true rarities of the circus – for any process that requires more than five minutes.

This is a trick of the mind.

“I would encourage students to get as involved as possible on campus! Make the most of your time and don’t be afraid to talk to new people,” Alicia Gabbard said, broadcasting and hyping as only a true advertising director can. “Overall, I’ve had a great experience at Oakland University – go Grizzlies! Working at the Oakland Post in the Advertising Department not only helped build my resume but also allowed me to make several great friends.”

No one ever says their favorite part of the trip was the airport. Many things come: the tires slip back into the wheel well, and a pilot whispers sweet nothings to a couple of hundred sleepy people.

But it is impossible to have gone anywhere on that journey without stopping at the airport. The questions, the scrutiny, the over-reachy (and recently way too underpaid) security, and the friends you made waiting for the flight are just as much of the journey as the margarita in Tahiti.

Just don’t forget us when you’re there, and we hope to see you again when we depart the terminal.