This is it. We’ve done all we can do. Last night, The Sun’s 126th editorial board officially put its last paper to bed. There was drinking (of the non-alcoholic variety). There was dancing (it was embarrassing). There was laughing, and there was crying. Most of all, there was a sense that, for at least some of us, The Sun will now become something we did at Cornell, no longer the overarching focus of our college careers.

For any board, the last night of publication is tough. Many members of the 126th have given the last three years of their lives to The Sun, including one or more editorships and countless hours logged down at the office. Inevitably, for all of us, the newspaper has become a sort of family, taken from all ends of campus and seemingly pieced together with no apparent product in mind.

In the thick of things, Sun editors don’t often consider the broader personal impact of their experience. The Sun is a long and arduous grind, difficult always and rewarding just as often. Sun editors consistently have some sense that they want to do what they’re doing, but it’s often difficult to decipher meaning in the heat of journalistic battle.

This is the purpose of the last night of publication. Tonight (or last night, more accurately), the 126th came together to reflect on the newspaper as a defining part of its collective life. The Sun gives all of us sleepless nights, angry e-mails and constant responsibility. But more importantly, the newspaper gives us something to look forward to every day of publication.

With this issue of The Sun, the 126th is effectively signing off. We are passing the torch to the next generation of editors, wishing them good luck and giving them their space to make mistakes, as we did, and learn from them, as we hope we did. But for senior members of the 126th, their Sun journey does not end tonight. As it was for all Sun editors past, the newspaper will still be there, encouraging us to work when we’re tired, demanding from us commitment when we feel uncommitted and reminding us of this, our greatest experience in our time on The Hill. The Sun inspired creativity and dedication in every member of the 126th. We will remember it always.