Sunday is my last night at The Daily Eastern News.

When I was applying for an internship after my freshman year of college, I remember looking up to my editor at the time, Aldo Soto, and writing in my cover letter that I wanted to be the Sports Editor of the DEN by my senior year.

I was able to get the job by my sophomore year.

At first, I just wanted to be the one that, in a way, was leading the sports section of The Daily Eastern News. And while that has been fun while it has lasted, I know that is going to end Sunday night when we publish our final edition, which I hope you read. But I hope the friendships I have made do not end.

I had no idea what I was doing my sophomore year trying to be an editor of a paper that I barely got to know my freshman year. I was freaking out, trying to cover my volleyball beat and trying to make the sports section as good as it could be.

And one person who has been on the ride with me this whole time has been Maher Kawash, who has done countless things to help me out in Eastern sports coverage.

The staff was small and all brand new, but I figured this freshman, Maher, worked hard enough, so I put him on men’s basketball, and he killed it as a freshman, covering our second biggest sport on campus.

And my junior year was where I met the rest of my little dream team, as we liked to call it. Mark Shanahan and Tyler McCluskey split assistant sports editor duties, while both maintaining excellent coverage on their respective beats.

Those two handled loads of work that I was unable to handle sometimes, and it was a shame to see them have to graduate last year.

And while she was not always totally available, living in Effingham, Kaitlin Cordes covered anything that needed to be covered for the last three years. This year she wrote columns for the women’s basketball team, which always went nicely with our game stories.

But senior year. Wow.

I cannot believe it is actually coming to an end.

Senior year was my favorite year working with my excellent coworkers and friends.

And our two sports photographers that shot countless games and were excited to hop on the job if they were asked (at least they seemed to be). Bryan Bund and Karina Delgado, I cannot thank enough for how they have helped me out in their time here.

Bryan came in last year and wanted to report, but there was not much available, so I sent him out to shoot the home opening football game, and he has shot everything under the sun since then.

He was a tireless worker who improved behind the camera immensely over the last year. And took some of the best photos I have come across.

And Karina, as a freshman, came in and shot basketball games right away, putting great photos in the DEN. And while she seemed to be super nervous about how photos were turning out or what to do exactly, she kept shooting and shooting and took some great shots at these games.

I know these two will continue to fire off great content for the sports section.

Some of my most fun memories have come working with JJ Bullock, who was assistant sports editor, and Madison Antrim, the sports page designer.

Some nights, I do not know how we managed to make things work. Some of those late nights it would drive me insane, I would be stressed out, but I would really do anything to get some of this time back.

JJ could handle anything, from writing to editing or designing. Now, he is going to be sports editor next year, and I know he will do even better than what I was hopefully able to do.

Madison may not have known tons about sports, but she could put together some wicked designs that turned out incredible in the paper. I would throw some idea at her and a few minutes later it was somehow put together.

Sunday night is the last edition of The Daily Eastern News that myself and some of my best friends will put out, but it has been a great three years.

Thanks for some good years, guys!

Sean Hastings is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu.