I’ve probably repeated this about a billion different ways below, but I can honestly say working at The Daily Orange has been one of the most formative parts of my entire college experience. I’ve learned so much about myself throughout these couple of years, and I am so privileged to have been able to work with some of the most thoughtful and inspiring people that I have ever met. The D.O. has definitely come to hold a special place in my heart. I don’t know if there are words to describe how thankful I am for my time here, but I’ll try my best.

Talia: Thank you so much for all of your support and your kindness, for being both the best mentor I could ever have and an amazing friend. You were such an incredible presentation director, and I learned so much from your guidance. I couldn’t have accomplished anything I did here without you. Thank you for being there to answer all of my constant questions, offer meaningful advice, and for making the visuals team into one big family. I love seeing all of the amazing work you’ve been doing at The Washington Post, and it has been so nice seeing you fulfill all your dreams. Thank you for being such an amazing role model. ❤️

KJ: Hey legend. You were one of the first non-visuals people I met, and I am so grateful for just that. I can genuinely say that I don’t know if I would have still been here after my first semester if I didn’t have you around to remind me how cool some of the other sections could be. As soon as I stepped foot into The D.O., you made sure I felt welcomed and had fun, and I couldn’t thank you any more for being such a highlight to my time here. I absolutely miss designing with your crazy *ss in Sports and our constant roast sessions, and I am so thankful for you always being one of my no. 1 supporters and fueling so much of my creativity.

Casey and Emma: I am so happy that my time as PD was under your leadership. Running production during a panny d’rona was definitely both a memorable and stressful time, but with both of you around, it was always fun. Thank you for always matching my end-of-the-night chaotic energy, supporting me when I was overwhelmed, and for encouraging me when it felt like I wasn’t doing my best. I truly miss all of your random singing sessions during our late night drives home, cursing out the printer with you, and those times when we somehow thought it was a good idea to finish downing our iced coffees at midnight because we were just that exhausted. You both put so much passion into everything you do, and I can’t wait to see how you’ll continue to do that in the future.

Corey and Billman: I’ve missed having you both in the visuals room so much these past couple of years. It was always so fun laughing for hours about the most random things, trading our favorite songs and building music playlists for production nights, and seeing whose comments were going to get stuck in #overheard that night. You both are so extremely talented, and I always love seeing your beautiful work. Thank you for being a part of some of my favorite moments during my time here.

Katie M.: We were definitely a dynamic duo when it came to leading the visuals section in fall 2020, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Collaborating with you was always so exciting because we were always on the same wavelength and had such a good time conjuring up ideas. Thank you for listening to my late night rants, going with me to D.O. parties and doing such a great job revamping our digital design section. And thank you for helping me with my homework for my iSchool classes every night ❤️ I hope we get the chance to work together again in the future.

Shannon: Both getting to know you and working with you these past couple of years has been so amazing. You are truly such a gifted artist and designer, and I am so glad you decided to take on the role of PD. You are definitely one of the kindest people I have ever met, and I am going to miss your warm and amazing personality. I’m so glad you’re staying as PD another semester. Your legacy is definitely going to be one everyone will always look up to.

Sarah Allam: Taking up illustration editor after you was so intimidating because I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role besides you. Your hard work deserved so much more appreciation, and I thank you so much for everything you did to make sure our paper looked amazing every night.

Emily and Mandy: I wish I was in house this year to witness all the incredible things you both have been doing as a management team. Emily, it’s been so wonderful watching you grow ever since we entered The D.O. as naive little freshmen. Mandy, after seeing you lead the culture section with such grace and care, you’ve done an amazing job translating that into your role as managing editor. You guys are the best.

Yiwei, Maya and Sarah: I really couldn’t have asked for a better design team during my time as PD. You all poured so much of your heart and soul into everything you did, and your dedication and commitment to contributing to this paper was always so inspiring for me and made me so proud to lead the section. I love seeing you all move onto bigger roles at The D.O., and I know you’ll do great in them. Feel free to reach out if you need anything — I’m always here to help.

Haley and Leffert: Being welcomed into The D.O. under you guys was such a thrilling experience. It was so incredible watching you both lead this paper as such talented, strong women. You guys truly give meaning to the phrase “work hard, play hard.” I will always miss laughing about the silliest things with you guys at design meetings. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a part of an organization that has become one of the most important parts of my college experience.

Amy: I will never forget our five-hour bus ride into New York City, and I am so happy we had that opportunity to really get to know each other. You have always been such an inspiration to me, from your amazing work ethic and creativity to your bubbly personality, you always seemed to keep such a positive energy around you that brought everyone in the room together.

Kevin: I am so appreciative of you always being so friendly and taking the time to teach me new skills. I definitely miss you randomly screaming my name whenever you saw me in the room, and I am always going to remember our summer of Zoom sessions designing “Waiting for Normal” together.

Diana: From the first time I spoke to you, I knew you were going to be a role model in house for me. I admired how strong and confident you were in your beliefs and work, and I was always in awe of your talent. You were always so funny, and you made me feel really supported and heard. Designing in Pulp was always such a fun time, and I am so grateful to have been able to be on staff with you.

Crane: Designing sports guides with you as a head editor was so fun. You were always so organized and willing to contribute as much as you could. Thank you for being such a hard worker and for always trying to prioritize visuals. It made finishing guides so much more rewarding.

Anya: I’m so glad we got to know each other during our time at The D.O., and I really wish we got the chance to actually work together because I know it would have been the best time. You’re so talented and such an amazing person to be around, I’m going to miss fooling around at D.O. parties with you so much.

Aishwarya: Even though we never worked together at The D.O., I am so glad it was still able to introduce me to you. Thanks for always giving me the best advice whenever I was super stressed about being PD, and thank you for being such an inspiration to me as a South Asian woman in design. I’ve learned so much from you, and I can’t wait to continue to collaborate on bigger and more exciting projects in the future.

Nida: There are no words to describe just how much I appreciate you. You are literally my rock and my best friend in the entire world, and I am so thankful that you exist. Thank you so much for dealing with my constant bullsh*t and for carrying me through life. And thank you for dealing with my 3 a.m. phone calls after super late nights at The D.O. and listening to my rants that go on for hours. You’re always there for me, even when it gets really hard, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful. Everything I do is to make you proud. Love you so much.

Mo: Thanks for hanging up my work in your room! You’re a real one.

Mom and Dad: I wouldn’t be where I am today without your unconditional love and support. Thank you for always believing in my dreams and reminding me that I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it. I love you.

Published on December 9, 2021 at 2:18 am