Most jobs don’t force you to get out of the office and explore the world around you, but as a photojournalist, your job is to do that exactly. This job has given our photographers the motivation to really step out of our comfort zones to tell the people of the community stories through images.

Not every job forces its employees into the community in such a proactive way, and we feel honored to have had the chance to – at least in some small way – inform the public of the many stories being lived in Champaign-Urbana on a daily basis.

Viewing the camera as both a shield and a friend, we have learned to always be on the lookout for the simple human truths that make a moment beautiful. Whether it is being right next to the action of the legendary Illinois basketball team, or being there to witness soldiers reunite with loved ones after more than a year of absence, the extraordinary moments that we have been able to capture this year are a source of pride for this young photography staff. We hope our readers have enjoyed them.

Being a photojournalist is a continuous learning experience, and as the departing photo editors at the Daily Illini, we have faith that this staff will continue to show the readers what is going on around them in the most effective way.

It’s hard to pick just a few photos from this year, so don’t regard the images you see as the best of the Daily Illini staff’s work, just a small sampling of what our photographers can do. Each of these images has an important story to tell and for that reason we are showing you them once more to end the semester.

Peter Hoffman – Daily Illini Photo Editor

Tessa Pelias – Daily Illini Deputy Photo Editor