It’s a little surreal to look back at my time at The Daily Orange. When I started writing for the paper in fall 2017, I was a quiet, nervous freshman who had no idea what she was getting into. The amount I’ve grown not only as a writer, but as a person, is almost unbelievable to me.

There’s a lot to love about The D.O. The people. The opportunities. The laughs. The experiences that make the late nights, long days and stressful moments all worth it. But my absolute favorite part of The D.O. is the passion that is evident in every person, every day.

Everyone there cares so much about the paper they’re producing and the stories they’re telling. Seeing that passion day in and day out for three semesters has been incredibly inspiring. I am so grateful to know a group of such dedicated people. Thank you to everyone who made my time at The D.O. possible, wonderful and memorable.

Jordan and Sam: I had to include you both in the same message because the two of you together was the first impression I had of The D.O. Thank you both for working with me on my writing, reaching out to me with stories and encouraging me to apply for increasingly more involved positions. I would never be where I am in the D.O. if it wasn’t for you two, so thank you.

Talia: Thanks for being the sweetest. I’m always in awe of how good you are at what you do, and I can’t wait to see what you continue to do in the future.

Amy and Kevin: The best co-digital editors anyone could wish for. Kevin, I want to be sad that halfway through this semester you still thought I was a copy editor in news, but I’ll forgive you because I know you were super busy doing amazing work. Amy, you’re one of the kindest people I’ve met, and I’m glad to know you. I can’t wait to see you kill it in Pulp. 

Sarah S.: It seems like forever ago that we were on the SA beat together. I remember the end of that semester when we were both applying for an assistant copy spot and both nervous that we wouldn’t get one. I’m really, really happy we did.

Colleen: I never thought I’d say this, but I’m so glad that I agreed to be a wingwoman for my friend, because otherwise I would not have gotten closer to you. You are so full of light, and seeing you always brightens up my day. I can’t wait to see all the amazing work you do in Texas.

Kennedy: Hi! You’re so bright and wonderful. It was great to have you as a news editor, and I’m so glad I got to know you last semester. Keep killing it in Philly — I’m thrilled I can say that I worked with Gritty’s No. 1 fan.

Richard: Thank you for all your hard work with copy this fall. You’re going to do great things in digital. Smile more, laugh a lot and have an amazing time next semester.

Haley and Leffert: It’s been amazing to have such incredible, strong women as management this semester. Thank you for all the help and support. Leffert, if you ever need someone to pet sit a fish, hit me up.

Diana: I’m so glad to have gotten to know you and to have spent so much time with you this semester. You can always make me laugh or make my day a little bit better. You’re obviously one of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met — you’re also one of the kindest. I hope we have lots more lunch dates in the future (ones where you don’t forget your credit card).

Gabe: Wow, two semesters as assistant news editors together. It’s crazy how many days that is, but it’s even crazier how quickly the time went by. Thanks for nights of making me laugh, of reminiscing about when we were clueless staff writers and of working hard to figure out who is posting what stories. I’ll miss working with you each week, but I can’t wait to see all the amazing headlines that will be in your future. Have a wonderful time in Australia — I hope you get your dateline.

Gillian: It was so exciting to see you grow as a writer while on the city beat, and I was thrilled when I learned that you wanted to be in-house this semester. I cannot wait to see everything you’re going to do in the spring. You’re an absolute gem, and I’m lucky to know you.

Emma: First things first, I’ll pay you $500 if you ever wear a pair of sweatpants to The D.O. How someone can look so fabulous everyday while working somewhere so time consuming, I will never know. But seriously, it’s been an incredible experience working beside you. I’m constantly in awe of your willingness to tackle difficult subjects and of your passion when doing so. Thanks for the laughs during late nights of production and for always having my back on why salt potatoes are so spectacular. Getting to know you and becoming your friend this semester has been an absolute joy. You’re unbelievably kind and thoughtful — and a ridiculously good baker. The D.O. news section is in good hands next semester. I’d wish you the best of luck, but I know you won’t need it.

Nat: I’ve said it before, but I wouldn’t make it a week if I had to everything that you do each day. I am continually amazed by how much work you put in on a daily basis, and I’m forever glad that you decided to add The D.O. on top of everything you do. The first time I worked with you was election night 2018. I didn’t know you at the beginning of the coverage, but by the end of the night I learned you were really cool, really nice and a great person to report with. I’m glad that I’ve gotten to know you even more since then. Thank you for your consistent support and constant kindness. I can always count on you to check in on how I was doing and to cheer me up a little bit if it was a rough day. If you ever need a friend to talk, vent or simply yell with, I’m always here.

Casey: I’m not sure when you stopped being just my extremely loud, extremely talented coworker and became my friend. Maybe it was while sitting in the corner of news, laughing at whatever absurd thing you were saying. Maybe it was while driving you home after late nights of production. Regardless, I’m so glad it happened. I’ve never met someone who can be such a passionate, serious journalist while at the same time being such a ridiculous, hilarious person. You can make me laugh at basically any time of the day (especially when you laugh at your own jokes, which is often). But you also never fail to remind me why journalism is so crucial and why it’s so important that we do whatever we can to make sure it’s done right. I’m lucky to know you and to have worked with you. Thank you for a great semester. You’ve done so much already, and you’re going to do so much more in the future. Please, remember to take a breath and relax a little. You deserve it.

Alanna, Mallory, Lindsey, Lia: Thank you for the constant support and pep talks — and for listening to me talk about the D.O. when you knew nothing about it. I love you all.

My family: Every single one of you are my biggest supporters in the whole world. I would have stopped writing after my first article if not for the love and encouragement you all gave me. Thank you and love you, always. 

The D.O.: On Sep. 27, 2017 my first article for the D.O. was published. I had no idea at that time how much of an impact this newspaper would have on my life. To everyone I’ve met because of The D.O.:

Thank you for all the memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published on December 5, 2019 at 2:06 am

Contact India: [email protected]