For the first time in a long time, I don’t know what to do.

This is my last issue as editor in chief, and by the time you pick up this paper, I will have received about 60 hours a week of my life back.

My initial reaction is to be excited.

I’m looking forward to laying on the couch and catching up on all the sleep I’ve lost. I’d like to spend some time supporting Hillsborough Street in East Village or Mitch’s, in the same fashion my predecessors have. Heck, I might even hit the gym to work off the 13 months of fast food I’ve grown addicted to in the fast-paced, rock’n’roll lifestyle that is the Technician.

But the thing is, after a year and a month without that time, I think I’m going to have trouble filling up the space. I’ve spent the last week trying to figure out why — and on the last day with my name at the top of the masthead, I think I’ve found the answer.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accomplish as much with that time as I’ve been able to as the head of this newspaper.

That’s not quite a commentary on my performance, because I’ve failed at quite a bit during my time here.

We’ve written too many corrections. We’ve missed too many big stories. And perhaps what’s more condemning, to at least one of our readers anyway, is that we’ve run way too many duplicate crossword puzzles.

What I’m really getting at is the potential to do good things.

The Technician is a medium with the capability to reach all 30,000 of this University’s students in print or online. We’re able to reveal things about this University our readers didn’t know. We’re able to provide commentary about things students care about. And incidentally, we’re able to keep students entertained through our content — even if it happens to be with our Sudoku.

The knowledge of that ability is incredible. It was what made me want the job in the first place, and it was what made me enjoy it so much while I was there. I’d like to think that, for the most part, we used that power constructively and ethically this year.

It hasn’t been easy.

Behind the headlines of this newspaper, my staff has seen the highest turnover in what is probably the entire history of Technician. Every single section, with the exception of design, has lost its top editor. Some of those folks have stuck around, contributing periodically to the paper. Others have drifted away all together.

A lot of that is the result of my leadership. Some of it is a result of the stressful life we lead in what really is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week position.

But through all this craziness, the remaining staff members, along with a few new ones, banded together to cover what has really been one of the biggest years for news in my four years at the University.

We’ve covered chemical fires, new coaches, big anniversaries and controversial issues. We haven’t done it perfectly, and there are days when picking up the paper is the most disappointing part of my day.

However, what I’ll take with me for the rest of my life are the days when I pick up the latest edition with pride. Or when I check out some new feature we’ve been able to release online that we’ve never done before.

Those comprise the majority of the days, and in those cases, that is really a testament to this staff’s dedication to bring you something you want to read.

I’m proud of their dedication. I’m proud of their performance. And although it’s hard to take much credit for most of what these folks do — completely on their own — I’d like to think that from time to time, I’ve helped them head in the right direction.

It’s obvious to me that my time at the Technician has made me a completely different person, and the nights I’ve spent hating life in that office are responsible for that as much as the nights I walked out at 1 a.m. with a smile on my face.

I hope I was able to make a positive impact on this publication. Judging only by the quality of my successor, I’d like to say I have.

Of course, when it really comes down to it, that’s for you to judge.

Catch up with Tyler on the Hillsborough Hike tonight or send him things to do with his free time at [email protected].