The University Union is a labyrinth, and yet, I still managed to find my way into the Pipe Dream office. It just took me a while to get there — literally.

As a transfer student, I felt out of place the minute I moved into my Newing dorm in fall 2022. I was fresh out of a grueling freshman year that left me in a state of limbo in which I no longer knew what path I wanted to take. I simply knew that getting to Binghamton was the first step. It was the “after” that I wasn’t clear on.

The following spring semester became one of the hardest things I had to endure, and it had me questioning whether Binghamton was the right place for me. I struggled to fit in, had an existential crisis that culminated in dyed red hair, and my grades were nothing to write home about.

While I may have jumped back and forth between psychology and comparative literature (comp lit eventually won), Pipe Dream Arts & Culture was my constant. To be honest, I am still not exactly sure how I found myself attending a Pipe Dream general interest meeting — I just know that I did, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have Sam to thank for that, as I am not sure that I would have stuck around if it hadn’t been for his confidence in my writing.

Pipe Dream has become the safe haven I didn’t know I needed, and it is something that I will be eternally grateful for. It provided me with a sense of direction and purpose that my wayward soul desperately needed. Applying to be an intern was my life raft, and it allowed me to realize that there was a community waiting for me at Binghamton — I just had to find the right words.

I learned so much about myself every production day, and I wouldn’t have been able to become the writer and person I am today without my girls at Arts & Culture. From debating synonyms to deciding when to have movie nights, we were a well-oiled machine, and every challenge we faced was just another lesson to learn.

Like I said, the Union may be a labyrinth, but there is something in there for everyone. Finding my way to the Pipe Dream office is something that I will never regret. To the basement office with no windows, thank you for being my guide these past few years — I will miss you.

To my housemates, both old and new, we finally made it out of that creepy house on Clarke Street! Thank you for the late-night talks, cooking lessons, grocery runs and random downtown adventures we went on. My college experience wouldn’t have been complete without you all.

To my grandmother, aunt and brother, thanks for being my constant cheerleaders. You may not have understood why I majored in comparative literature, but boy, did you support the heck out of me. Thank you for that, and I promise to make you proud.

Mom — thanks for believing in me. Even when I didn’t think you were, you were always in my corner, cheering me on. Thank you for listening to my crazy stories, for buying me all the books that we will inevitably struggle carrying out of my apartment and for the unwavering support you have given me these past 22 years. This degree is for the both of us.

I am ready to say goodbye to Binghamton. I think I have been for a while, but I am struggling to say goodbye to my friends at Pipe Dream, so I will try my best.

Revati, thank you for being my friend and my rock this last year. Our last two semesters here at Bing have been a combination of anxious energy, hundreds of job applications, fangirling over our favorite shows and books and a kinship I will never forget. I will miss our snack runs at the University bookstore and the Food Co-op and our spontaneous adventures that always resulted in us buying something new to decorate the office with. I am so glad we became close this year. I am not sure I know anyone else who could have understood the random jokes, Twitter drama and our general insanity regarding classic literature and pop culture. I know you will accomplish great things, and I can’t wait to see the amazing publisher, editor, writer, journalist and person you will become.

Christina, you are seriously one of the funniest people I have ever met. I am so, so glad that we decided to take another class together this semester, even if we were both in a perpetual state of general disbelief at the sheer amount of reading we had to do each week. Thank you for laughing at my awkward jokes and for being an awesome person. I am proud to call you my friend, and I am so excited to see what you have in store as arts and culture editor next year. You are a force to be reckoned with, and I pity anyone who gets in the way of you and your side quests.

Jaiden and Katelyn, I will always remember the random jokes and stories we shared. You are both destined for greatness, I am sure of it.

Jaiden, you are, hands down, the most stylish and kindest person I know — nothing can beat your kindness. I just know that your ambition will allow you to achieve anything you set your mind to, and that you’ll always be the most fashionable person in every room.

Katelyn, I am in constant awe of all the work that you do. I have never met a person who has been so incredibly productive and busy, but you handled it with grace.

May the Arts & Culture Burger King sign forever shine, and please, for the love of all things journalism, clean the whiteboard next fall.

Emily Maca, a senior majoring in comparative literature, is an arts & culture intern.