Is it really time?

I feel like I've only been the editor-in-chief for a couple weeks, not two and a half quarters.

This Friday, The News Record staff will gather with Gin A. Ando facing the firing squad. We'll grill him, verbally assault him with tough questions just to see if he can handle the pressure. We have to. Gin is the only candidate for the 2010-11 editor-in-chief position.

Monday we'll meet with the communications board. They'll make the final decision to elect the next editor. The appointment will be official that evening.

Let the training begin.

I don't see our lone candidate as a bad thing -- to be honest, unless you've worked in the newsroom for at least one year, there's no way you'll survive as the editor.

But, anyway, to my original point ... The first two quarters of this year have flown by. I spend more time in the newsroom than I do in my apartment. I know my editors better than I know some of my best friends. Well, sort of, because the editors are my best friends.

It's not so bad, you know, working with friends you love and trust. These are people I fire on a daily basis and, yet, can't seem to get rid of. I wouldn't tell them, but I'm glad they're not going anywhere. Not tonight, anyway.

Next quarter is my last at TNR. I've been here for three years. I'm hoping to make the most of it. To do some serious investigative work, or at least some really deep stories that our readers will be able to sink their teeth into.

I'm also really looking forward to working closely with staff writers. To help them progress, learn and fine tune their skills. It's a scary thing to leave this organization in someone else's hands. This organization is my baby. I love it.

I'm confident the people steering this ship will continue to build upon the foundation we've set, and will continue to improve the organization beyond an imaginable scope. It will take time. It won't happen over night. And it certainly couldn't all happen in this one year.

But we've made progress. A lot of progress. I can't wait to see what's next.

-- Taylor