Just as a story boils down to the people involved, The Daily Orange wouldn’t be what it is without the tireless work of its staff, who balance full class schedules, internships and outside jobs with providing coverage that’s often better than any other outlet in town. I’m fortunate to have crossed paths with many of these people. Here are just a portion of them. 

Haley and Leffert: You both made The D.O. a welcoming place for a quiet freshman, making me feel part of the paper before I even worked in house. I don’t think there could have been a better management duo for me to begin with. You embodied the best of The D.O., putting great care both into the paper and the people who work here. On top of all that, you carried it through perhaps the wildest year in its history, including moving locations, an endless stream of hate crimes and bias-related incidents, #NotAgainSU occupations, a campus shutdown and producing a paper remotely. I’m probably forgetting something, too. 

Louis: I wish I’d been able to work with you more. Your humbleness and sincerity helped you lead the Culture section, and they will carry you far in journalism. 

Crane: I don’t remember telling anyone at The D.O. to call me by my last name, but walking into the sports room and hearing you say “Lamb!” helped me warm up to it. From one zoological surname to another, thank you for being my friend since I joined this paper. Let’s catch up when you’re back on campus next semester. 

Spring 2020 sports room: Thanks for all the laughs. 

Mandy: I’ve enjoyed working under you during my time at The D.O. You’re one of the kindest and most compassionate people I’ve met here, and I wish you the best going forward. 

Gabe: Some editors may have lost it if a first-time writer showed up late with a third of a story for an A1 read. But you kept your composure, afterwards encouraging me to keep my head up and keep writing. Staffers like you are why The D.O. is the best college paper in the country. 

Corey: When I learned a photographer was coming along on my five-mile run and interview with professor/marathoner Cliff Davidson, I felt a little guilty about the idea I had pitched as a freshman one month into college. It seemed excessive for a story that wouldn’t even reach 800 words. But when I saw your photos — which you sprinted ahead of, stopped behind, and kept pace alongside Davidson countless times to get — the story reached another level. You go the extra step to capture a person’s essence in ways words can’t express. Keep writing, too!

Siron: You’re a blast to work with and a great friend. Let’s jam some more next semester — when you’re not busy killing it as a Culture assistant. 

Richard: I’m fortunate to have had someone else at The D.O. to vent to last year who knew what it was like to study and work remotely. Thanks for holding down #copy_team during that time, too. I’m glad you were in house this semester, among a staff I’m getting to know all too late. Congratulations on graduating early, and I look forward to seeing what more you do for Forbes and beyond. 

Nick: Why does this guy care so much about a winless Cincinnati Bengals team? I thought as I watched a bespectacled freshman stare, enthralled, at a Sadler dining hall TV one fall Sunday two years ago. Once we became coworkers the next semester, when I’d wander over to Op when I wanted a break from Sports, I realized it’s because you put a ton of energy into the things you care about. Keep doing that with your reporting, and it will take you places. 

Chris: Thank you for being blunt and telling me it was a dumb idea to withdraw from all my classes as I panicked three days into this semester. That was a dumb idea. But I guess that’s what friends do — keep each other in check — and we’ve been on both sides of that since we met. I don’t know many people as driven as you are, balancing two beats with a part-time New York Post job, heavy course load, frisbee, roommate squabbles, late-night texts from me and dedicated Knicks watching. Just remember to stay goofy too. I’m sorry for being so unreliable at times, but I’ll make it up to you soon. Still, let’s never co-byline again. 

Matthew: As I crossed the Melo Center courts on an October Saturday in 2019, the anticipation of an approaching Syracuse men’s basketball season in the ventilated air, I had no idea the guy with the big smile approaching me would soon become my closest friend. But after many nights as the last ones off the Carrier Dome floor, each having filed our separate coverages, your genuineness soon became clear. Even as I’ve become unfulfilled by journalism, questioning if Newhouse and the  — you know what, I’m not even going to check — dollars in debt were the right choice, I remember that gaining a lifelong friend in you has made it worth it. Thank you for reminding me that I don’t have to have everything figured out, that what’s important is how one reacts to life’s challenges, that every day is a gift, that — I could go on. I’d give you some advice here, but you’re the most grounded person I know. I’ll miss you here in Syracuse, but life goes on. Let’s talk soon.

Published on December 9, 2021 at 2:34 am

Contact Austin: [email protected] | @AustinCLamb