I started writing this last September during my first semester as an assistant. I was lost and didn’t think I was good enough to eventually be sports editor. I decided to stay and do another semester of assistant before taking up the role for this fall. I can’t say I regret that decision one bit.

Working in-house was the best thing I ever did since stepping foot on this campus. My friends often yell at me and tell me I work too much. I never disagreed with them, but I also cared about what I was doing. I met people and built relationships that will last for a lifetime during my four semesters in-house. The people I met during this time truly changed my life. This is a thank you to them.

Cooper: It’s sickening the amount of time we’ve spent together the past 18 months and I genuinely think I could write a book about what we’ve been through together. When Cole first revealed who was on his staff, I had no clue some random kid who always wore a Bears sweatshirt would become one of my best friends. I had no idea who you were at the time and it wasn’t until the end of that spring that we became closer because of how bad we wanted to be assistants. From there, the rest is history. When you got SE over me, there was no hesitation to come back. When I took over for you, I was glad you were staying in management. You made my life so much easier as SE and took a lot of stress off my shoulders. There are endless stories I could tell, whether it was about our first trip together to South Bend to one of our many car rides to North Carolina. I’m not even going to get into the madness of working in Chatham with you, but spending last summer with you was something I’ll never forget. You’re an amazing writer, but an even better person to be around and I can’t say I’ve regretted a second of the time we’ve had together. I’m sorry that the Bears keep breaking your heart and that Caleb Williams is going to leave in a few years. Just know you’re always welcomed to join the Eagles bandwagon. I promise not to be a stranger next semester.

Justin: You are the only person who I know that could successfully rush a fraternity and work in-house at the same time (I still have no clue how you did that). It’s true that you live a double life, but nobody pulls it off quite like you do. You’re ready to be SE. I have full confidence in you to continue all the good work we’ve done as a section this semester. You’re a talented editor who I can always count on to cut down my stories when I overwrite something. Your ability to pivot on a story and change something on the fly when something goes wrong is unmatched. Even though it stressed me out on numerous occasions, you never let me down with your work. You have an uncanny ability to find weird stories that only you could write or get interesting anecdotes to fit your angle. It’s gonna be weird not being in-house with you, but you’re probably happy I won’t be since I’ll have more time to fill your budget. Don’t be afraid to ask me for help, you know I’m always here. Just remember, we work fast at The D.O.

Aiden: Out of anybody mentioned in this story, you were the first person I met. I always laugh when I think about the fact I watched you play baseball before even knowing who the hell you were. When we were together at Chickie’s and Pete’s meet up in Philly, I thought, “Man, this kid is quiet.” A few months later, we watched the Phillies clinch the playoffs in your dorm room. You’re the biggest Phillies fan I know and I could always count on you to give a casual baseball fan like me insight to the team. Since you started working in-house, you’ve made incredible strides in your reporting and storytelling. You are a completely different writer compared to this time last year and it’s clear to everybody. I’m gonna miss our adventures across the street to Shaw and I’m sorry I can’t continue the tradition when you’re DME next semester. We’ve talked about you doing DME since last fall when we walked back to Watson together. I’m glad that actually turned into reality. I know you’ll do an amazing job and that you have a ton of great ideas to bring to the digital side of this paper. Hopefully, this basketball team isn’t mid, but even if they are, it’s cool we finally get to be on a beat together after all this time.

Jeppy: You always brightened my day whenever you came into the house. Whether it was that huge smile of yours or the nonchalant jokes, I could always count on you to take my mind off whatever was happening. You always were able to be creative with your writing even if your experience was limited. I know you didn’t accomplish everything you might’ve wanted with the paper, but I’m so happy that you chose to look after yourself. It’s important you know that. I’ll actually have time to hang out with you now, so I’m looking forward to that.

Nicholas: You’ve come a long way from filing your first track feature at 2500 WORDS WITH SECTION BREAKS. I’m not gonna lie, I had to look twice when I first saw that. Since then, it’s been nothing but an upward trajectory for you. You’ve listened to everything the editors told you to do and your growth couldn’t be more clear as a result. No matter what challenge we threw your way, you were always ready for it. I always crack a smile whenever you pull out a book when you have nothing to do during production. It shows you’re dedicated to your craft and it’s evident in your writing. You haven’t been afraid to try new things and experiment, which is so important. You’re ready to be an assistant and don’t tell yourself otherwise.

Noah: I could write the same thing I did for Nicholas because you’ve displayed the same qualities. You’ve grown exponentially this semester with your writing and I could always count on you to consistently produce women’s soccer features and now women’s basketball content. You were always a silent assassin, copy-editing away to my left. I would always laugh at the beginning of the semester whenever you texted me during the day to apologize for not copy editing something quick enough. It showed that you cared and wanted the section to be as efficient as possible. I have no doubts that you’ll have that same mindset when it comes to being an assistant.

Jordan: I can’t emphasize how hard it is to work in-house in your first semester at college. I seriously don’t think I could’ve if I tried. To be honest, I was nervous to hire you, but you took the opportunity and ran with it. You never complained about the workload and took every challenge head on. I’m so happy with how you’ve progressed this semester as a writer. I’ve seen you grow with each and every story you write. You have a long future ahead of you at this paper, and I look forward to following your work.

Matt: You’re one of the funniest people at this paper. Whenever you were working dig, I knew I could get a good kick out of something you said — even if it was unintentional. As a Flyers fan, it was always enjoyable to listen to your rants about the Penguins. I’m really glad you get to cover WICE because I know how much you like hockey. Thanks for being a dogged dig worker, because I know firsthand that it’s not an easy position.

Mauricio: You’re a very talented writer and I can tell you have a passion for journalism. It’s not easy to develop a voice in your writing early on, but you’ve done it no matter what story I’ve given you. I’m super excited you applied to work in-house this semester. Don’t take it for granted and keep getting better.

Harris: You took the initiative to reach out and meet with me early in the semester and showed that you were serious about the D.O. Thanks for hopping on the WICE beat right away. It’s not easy to be on a beat immediately, but it’s been great to see you learn.

Anish: It’s not an exaggeration to say I’m where I am because of you. My journey at The D.O. started when you texted me my summer going into my freshman year and talked to me on the phone for 45 minutes. I remember the excitement of writing my first story assigned, but I also remember how badly you shredded it in Schine that one time. It was a shock at first, but it made me realize what it took to be great at the D.O. You showed belief in me from the get-go, whether that was putting me on a beat as a freshman or imploring me to apply in-house and to not rush a fraternity. You were my initial inspiration to be SE. You planted that seed in my head and I’m glad you did. I never thought we’d work together, but last year was an amazing experience. You were hard on me when I needed someone to humble me, and I’m thankful for that because I became better because of it.

Tyler: Man, do I miss that big ass smile of yours. You were the first person I covered a Syracuse sporting event with. I remember being so nervous walking into the women’s building to cover that random volleyball game. Little did I know how much we would work together over the next year. I loved working for you as an assistant and I’m glad you took a chance on me and trusted that I could do a good job. We had a lot of fun, and even if it was a bit chaotic at times, we accomplished so much as a staff. Reading your stories last spring was a treat. Even if you filed at 2 a.m., I clicked on the email so fast to see whatever you cheffed up. You have a unique way with words and your style makes it impossible to click off your stories. I really hope you come back to the United States to work because we miss you over here.

Connor: You are hands down the best writer I’ve ever read at the D.O. Whenever I read one of your pieces I always thought, “How could I get to his level?” I remember calling you during my first semester and you explained the process of working in-house. I’m thankful for all the time I got to spend with you, especially those late nights sitting on your porch with everyone else when we rambled about whatever BS happened that week.

Tony: As a freshman, you were a mythical figure. I always heard your name and saw your bylines, but you never showed up to Sunday meetings. It wasn’t until last fall that we actually got to know each other and man, was I missing out. I finally got to learn about your unique sense of humor and witty personality. As an assistant, editing your stories was always a trip. It felt like you got weirdly shaped puzzle pieces to fit. You were always an open book whenever I got the chance to talk to you. Even if I truly only got to know you for a semester, you’re someone who makes it hard to forget the conversations you have with them. P.S. — I hear Dan Mullen’s gonna be hired any minute by Syracuse.

Cole: I’m forever grateful that you hired me to your staff when you were sports editor. I wouldn’t be in this position now if you didn’t take a chance on me back then. I learned so much from my first semester in-house under you and it helped build a foundation for me. I’ll never forget you drunkenly revealing to me at Theta philanthropy event that I was going to be an assistant before Tyler even told me. You’re one of the most detailed people I know and I’m glad you’re having a good time in Detroit. Hopefully, the Eagles and Lions meet in the NFC Championship.

Hank: I don’t know how you didn’t kill me when I was a digital editor and you were DME with how many times I misspelled a name. Genuinely, you were great to work with during that time. When I first started coming to Sunday meetings, you were one of the only people I wasn’t afraid of and I always felt comfortable talking to you. You’re one of the only people who can make fun of Philly sports and I can actually still get a kick out of it. Your versatility at the D.O. is unique. Whether it was your sports features or movie reviews, I feel like you can do it all. Hopefully, you actually figure out what the hell you want to do, but whatever it is, I know you’ll succeed.

Stephanie: Prior to this semester, I had only heard your name really and we never interacted. I remember vaguely seeing you in the basement at a D.O. party one time but other than that, our interactions were little to none. I’m happy that changed this fall. I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit scared of you at first, but that went away within a week of us working together. I’m really glad you let an idiot like me run the sports section this semester. I don’t know how you could put up with Cooper and I’s ridiculous antics or inside jokes whenever I came into management. You were always willing to listen to whatever weird story or inside joke we had to say, and you played into it. You are doing a fantastic job of running this paper and it’s in a great position under your leadership. I just have one more thing to request: don’t let Mucus Man get too close to Diane while I’m gone.

Sophie: I can’t believe it’s been two semesters since we worked in the house together. It’s funny because I felt like we didn’t talk that much when we were both digital editors two springs ago, but you becoming DME brought us closer. Since you left the house, your energy was missing. But every time I walked down the steps getting ready to leave the house, I looked up at the Ted Lasso sign you hung and smiled. You have a way of connecting with people that I haven’t really seen from anybody, and that’s why you’re so good at what you do.

Rose: I finally found someone I could rant to about Arsenal. We bonded over our shared trauma the Gunners continue to cause us. You were always the person I could go to when I wanted to complain about how unstoppable Man City was. I’m gonna miss walking down to culture at a random point in the night and complain about our MND 305 work. I still don’t know how I almost got an A in VIS 207 also. You always listened to me when I explained how my life was all over the place. I’m glad we got to be head editors at the same time. You took the culture section to a different level this semester and increased the standard for the future. Don’t have too much fun in Strasbourg.

Julia: Being SE is hard, but being News Editor is even harder. You did an amazing job managing everything this semester. Sorry if I hit your computer with the mini basketball one too many times. Enjoy your freedom.

Duncan: I could always vent to you about how the Sixers were self-imploding. It always felt like we were the first ones in the house each day, which gave us time to get to know each other better. Hopefully, you’ve fully recovered from the Yankees’ World Series loss. Even if you haven’t, just remember the Nets got six first-round picks for Mikal Bridges. You’re going to be an amazing News Editor and I look forward to seeing where you take the section.

Lucía: No more nights staying up until 4 a.m. to finish guides! Seriously though, you’re a rockstar and amazing at what you do. You’re a perfectionist, but in the absolute best way possible. You designed some of the most visually appealing guides I’ve seen since working at the D.O. I was always pretty vague when I explained the overarching theme of each guide and you executed them better than I ever could’ve imagined. Your energy was infectious and you know how to lead a section. You’ve set the bar pretty high for future people in your role and you should be proud of that.

Cole Ross: The graphics king! I could always count on you and your design editors to make incredible graphics for our stories and decipher whatever our dig editors were pitching.

Bridget: I really missed you in house this semester (no offense Lucía). I’ll never forget being in your JNL 211 class for like two weeks before realizing I was going to the wrong one (lol). On a serious note, you are insanely talented and one of the funniest people to be around at the paper. You helped drill into me to be efficient with big projects like guides, and I made sure to stick to my word that we wouldn’t have a repeat of the guide that shall not be named. You were one of the reasons I started to appreciate the design side of the D.O. and the importance of everything that goes on at the paper.

Joe: Three letters: B. W. P. Thanks for doing an amazing job with the videos this year. You’ve made them extremely appealing and it’s been a great new wrinkle for sports. And whenever you took photos for sports, I was always confident they’d come out amazing.

Cassie: We can both relax now (somewhat). I know being DME isn’t easy for anyone, but I’m glad you stepped into the position. I know sports can be a hard thing to learn, but thank you for putting up with all the craziness.

Lars: Your efficiency made my job so much easier. I could always count on you to get us the photos we needed for important coverages in a timely manner. Thank you for understanding sports and how we operate.

Mom, Dad, Eric, Lindsay, Julia and Nick: Thank you for supporting me throughout this journey. I’m sorry I go MIA for days at a time, that won’t happen anymore. I can’t express how much your support matters to me. You guys read almost everything I publish and I’m eternally grateful for that. I promise to call more.

Dennis, Brad, Jonah, Max, Vic: You guys kept me sane over the past two years. I genuinely couldn’t have done this job without all of your support. Even though I still don’t think you guys understand what exactly I do, you knew I cared about my work and sacrificed a lot. No matter what obscene hour I came home at, you guys were there to greet me (especially Dennis). You all listened to me rant about whatever thing was pissing me off at the moment. You guys are the best group of friends I could’ve asked for to go through this process with me. I love you guys so much and I hope you know that.

Published on December 13, 2024 at 1:37 am

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22