On Nov. 10, Taarna Wiltsie was in a fatal car accident on her way to Oregon. She was a first-semester staff writer who picked up the trade well.

Returning this semester, I saw her sitting down but didn't notice her. It wasn't until JACC that I really got to meet her.

In between competitions, me, Taarna, and a few other staff writers went to the Cal State Fullerton Billiard hall to shoot some pool. She was on my team and picked up well on the smack talk. She definitely made the three guys look like saps.

When we got back to school the next Monday. I stepped out to have a smoke and Taarna came out just to talk.

She told me she works at Henry's. I told her I work at a bowling alley. She started talking about how the whole staff should go bowling.

She then went on to her next class and that was the last I saw her.

She was just starting to come out of her shell and talk to people. In her mind she saw The Telescope as a group of people she could hang out with and talk to.

No doubt Taarna would be successful in whatever she did. She was excelling at the paper and the future looked bright for her. But it is all potential unknown.

In news writing, the end of a story is supposed to be catchy and bring everything full circle, but it's hard to be catchy when a story ends so abruptly. This is how I end her story:

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."

- Marcus Aurelius

Rest in Peace Taarna. You may be gone but the impact you made on those around you isn't.

- Anthony Schwartz

Staff Writer



Taarna was a truly incredible person who was taken from us just as we were starting to discover her natural talent as a writer.

I was looking forward to watching her grow with The Telescope, as both a journalist and a person. I am deeply saddened that I will not be able to witness that.