Back in August of 2008, I offically became a Coug, and I had no idea what was going to happen.

I moved into Streit hall, room 209. By total coincidence, my roommate and I ended up meeting at our room at the exact same time to move in. I hoped that him and I would get along, but I was unsure because the only time I ever spoke to my roommate before arriving to WSU was once through Myspace. (Yes, Myspace, It was a different time back then.)

Well, the WSU pairing system got this one right. My roommate, Troy, is still my roommate today and has been for the past four years.

Troy — to this day, I still feel bad for that one time I had the stomach flu freshman year. It must have been hell to have to sleep in a room that smelled like death and vomit for a week and a half. You truly are a great friend and someone I can rely on to give sound advice when I need it.

I have had a lot of luck in the friends department during the previous four years, with my four best friends being my current roommates.

I am not sure how my friendship started with Nick, the current ad manager for The Daily Evergreen. My guess is that it started with an argument dealing with some sports topic, since arguing is essentially all we do. Most times, I realize I am wrong, but still keep the argument going for the sake of arguing.  

 My other roommates, Nate and Jeremy, I met through Troy.

Nate was the one who introduced me to a very addicting game, League of Legends, and while his music is suspect at best, he’s a cool guy to talk football with since it’s all about stats with him. (So the Texans are the best football team, right Nate?).

Jeremy was the newest addition to the apartment, but has been best friends with Troy and Nate for a long time now. He just transferred to WSU last fall, but I have known him since sophomore year, and while his fascination with Batman is a bit too much for me; he is still a pretty cool guy and a worthy adversary in FIFA 12.

I would do anything for my four roommates.

Never in my wildest dreams would I think that I would grow such close friendships with these four guys during my time here. Some of my favorite memories with them won’t be the times at the bars or at parties, but many of them will be just us four hanging out and joking around.

The luck with friendships doesn’t stop there though.

Throughout my four years here, I have been able to form lifelong friendships with many others.

Remy, Trella, Courtney, Kaitlin, Lauren, Missy, Kelsey, McKena, Kate, Kasey, and my Sigma Kappa girls, Lianna, Lisa, Kim, Leah, Danielle, and Tara. I owe so much to all of you, your friendships and all the fun times we have had together. You all have truly made my four years here at WSU unforgettable.

To my friends at the Evergreen, (this includes my roommates Troy and Nick down in advertising), thank you for everything. While there were plenty highs and lows in the newsroom, it was really a life-changing experience. I have learned so much from you all.

Thank you, Stephanie for strengthening my belief that clichés are OK in stories and letting me know every time when I didn’t change an error in a story.

Thank you life editors, Kyle and Andrea for always making work fun and enjoyable during my year at the Evergreen.

Thank you Derek, for, well... nothing I guess. You and I were just assholes to each other and it was funny and fun to do.

Thank you Dylan for having nerdy talks with me dealing with the WWE and I truly wished you weren’t a Niners and Giants fan. I hate San Francisco.

And thank you to the editor-in-chiefs, Kari and Rochelle, and the managing editors, Morgan and Alli these past two semesters. I have learned so much through you guys, and will take away most of it to wherever I go after college. Thank you for all the knowledge you passed down to your staffs.

Finally, my brother, Tyler. We didn't get to hang out that much this year with both our busy schedules with work and school. But know that I am proud of the way you have handled your freshman year. I only hope the best for you in your remaining years at school, and I'll try my best to visit you on weekends. Have a great four years, and you ended up being the lucky one. The football team will be much better during your time here, than it was for me.

I wanted my graduation column to mainly focus on the friends in my life that I’ve made here at WSU. Some grad columns deal with funny stories, favorite places, or favorite memories during their time here, but for mine, I needed to acknowledge all the people here at WSU that have truly made these past four years an amazing experience that I will never forget.

It will be hard to see each and every one of you go your separate ways once we all graduate. I can only hope and pray that I will get to see each and every one of you again sometime in the future. I can't wait to see what amazing things you all do after your time here at WSU.