Asst. News Editor | Spring 2014-Fall 2014; News Editor | Spring 2015; Managing Editor | Fall 2015

Applying to work at The Daily Orange was the best thing I’ve done in college. It gave me incredible opportunities and incredible friends, and for that, I’m grateful. I can, sort of, summarize my feelings about the people I’ve met here using a quote from my favorite show, “The Office.”

“The people that you work with, are just, when you get down to it, your very best friends.” — Michael Scott

 Casey and Chase: Thanks for hiring me and getting me started here. I owe the past two years to you both.

Meredith: You’re probably more responsible for my time at The D.O. than anybody. You gave me my first A1 — sorry it sucked —, let me cover SA and talked me into applying to work in-house. Thanks for all that and for letting me complain to you on Gchat. I owe you Portillo’s.

Annie: You’re a good writer and reporter, and a fun person. Thanks for letting me be on your staff and for teaching me things my first semester.

Lizzie: Some of my fondest D.O. memories involve our stretching routine at parties. You are talented and a good friend. Love ya like a sister. ONE, TWO.

Dylan: I always left my phone volume on after SA coverage because I knew I could expect you to call to fact-check my story. I learned a lot just from being around you.

Jess: My goal as news editor was to not f*ck up all the great stuff you did the semester before. I learned more from watching you lead the section than from almost anybody else on this campus, and I’m lucky I got to be an assistant for you.

Alfred: Remember the hic-tape? You always made work and parties more fun. You’re also one of the smartest people I’ve worked with.

Audrey: I could’ve used you this semester to fake choke or make a blood brothers joke on occasion. Thanks for keeping your promise to come back if I did. Life at The D.O. would’ve been far more stressful if you weren’t around.

Lara: You did some things as EIC last year that improved the paper that most people will never realize or appreciate.

Erin Kelly: I missed having you to gossip with this semester.

Jacob Pramuk: I would not have survived my first semester in-house without you.

Kevin Quinn: Thanks for returning my emails and phone calls.

Chris Russo: You were thrown into a new job this semester with very little direction on how to do it. Thanks for your patience through it all.

Lydia Wilson and Jake Cappuccino: You are positive and talented people. I was lucky to have you both on my staff.

Katelyn, Ali, Alex Archambault and Rachel Gilbert: You’ve all improved a lot this semester. I’m excited to see what you do next.

 Brendan, Leslie and Laina: Thanks for your guys’ contributions to the digital side of the paper.

Yerin, Tiffany and Kiran: Thanks for making the paper look great.

Danny: Thanks for your hard work the past year and for speaking your mind at Sunday meeting.

Chase: Your Instagram captions make me smile.

Moriah: Heyyyyyy Moriah. It was wonderful talking to you about our shared passion for photography. Rule of thirds, depth of field, etc.

Alex Erdekian: You’ve gotten a lot better as a writer the last couple semesters. Thanks for always doing the mac pitches.

Kat: Thanks for designing most of my favorite front pages while I was news editor.

Delaney: You set the bar high as the first Pulp web assistant. Keep it up in news.

Sam Fortier: You’re a super talented writer and only a sophomore. Don’t overextend yourself and you’ll be just fine.

Rachel Sandler: I’m glad you’re coming back next semester. Thanks for all of your hard work as a staff writer and as an assistant. 

Sara Swann: I had a bad experience with a freshman assistant once, but you did great last spring and have been a positive presence in news ever since. Keep pushing yourself to get better.

Alexa Torrens: News editor is a tough gig, but I’ve always been impressed by how smart you are when it comes to writing and editing. You’ll do great, and maybe you can let me write a story or two.

Colleen: You’re the designer everybody wants in their section every night. Thanks for never complaining and for doing great work all semester. 

Emma/Lucy: The two of you are super talented and fit right in as freshmen. Please stick around for a while.

Chris: You’re one of the hardest working people I know. That’ll take you far.

Schwed: Never change, Schwed. It’s impossible not to be happy around you, and on top of that, you’re great at your job.

Schneidman: You’ve improved a lot in a short time. You’re full of good ideas, and I’m excited to see to all the things Sports accomplishes with you in charge.

Connor: You’re one of the most likable and talented people I’ve ever worked with. Sports was lucky to have your level-headed demeanor this semester. Keep making DGH proud. See you at the festival.

Jesse: You gave me my first sports story. I still remember how cool I thought it was that you were emailing me that summer about reporting on it. Thanks for the opportunity and for hanging out in management this semester. I look forward to reading whatever incredible stuff you write in the future.

Logan: You carried photo on your back for the last couple semesters and rarely complained. Thanks for making jokes with me during design meeting.

Jon: You were probably my best friend my first semester in-house, and we were a deserving cutest couple. On top of being a great guy, you’re one of the most talented people I know. You’re going to be a star as digital editor/in life.

Alexa Diaz: You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met and it’s not close. Don’t change; you make everyone’s day better just by being you. 

Jacob Gedetsis: You did enough work the past two semesters to warrant at least two weeks off. You turned the laughingstock of the paper into a respectable section this semester, so be proud. Don’t lose your creativity; the paper needs it. 

Justin: I’m lucky to have worked with you and to have you follow me the past couple semesters, even if it means you’ll immediately outdo me. You are absolutely relentless and a genuinely great person. I never worried about News with you around. You raised the bar to an unreachable level as news editor, and I can’t wait to see you do the same as managing editor. Remember to focus on the things you can control, and have some fun along the way.

Mara: Thanks for putting up with me. I tell you this sometimes, but I firmly believe when people come to say goodnight to you, they should be saying thank you instead. You’ve done some incredible stuff in a difficult job, and most people will never know about half of it. You should be proud. Thinking about all the crap dating back to May that we’ve had to deal with, there is not a single person who could’ve handled it better than you. Remember that you’re a kid in college at a college paper, so have some fun with it next semester. 

Sam Blum: I think you’re a great writer and editor, and you see and do things that I wish I could duplicate with stories. You’re also one of my best friends and someone who I’m fortunate to have met through this place. I can, and do, tell you almost anything, and you’ve been there to listen to me complain or share ideas or fears or frustrations or exciting news whenever I need to. Thanks for all that. Next semester let’s bring back plain burger Thursday and basketball in Archbold. 

Kelley: You’ve dealt with me coming home late all the time, listened to me complain about people you’ve never met and had me quit a video game to go cover something. Thanks for putting up with me as a roommate and for being a great friend. 

Chloe: I could’ve written this whole duck about you, Chloe. Spending two years holed up in this rickety house was worth it because I met you, and the other stuff is just a bonus. You work harder and do more than anybody, and you’re extremely talented. However much credit you get, it’s not enough. D.O. stuff aside, you’re perfect for me and I’m lucky to have you. Fourteen months after we started dating, I am still at my happiest when I’m with you. My life is infinitely better with you in it, and I have no f*cking idea what I would do without you. I can’t wait to spend most of my last semester here with you. My life would suck without you.

Mom and Dad: I say thanks to you two sometimes, but it’s not nearly often enough. So … thanks for letting me talk about the paper all the time. Thanks for scheduling our weekly phone calls around what I had to do for The D.O. Thanks for reading my stories. Thanks for letting me complain about people you don’t know. Thanks for letting me come to SU. Thanks for sending me stuff in the mail. Thanks for visiting. Thanks for letting me study what I want to study and spend almost all of my free time at The D.O. Most of all, thanks for supporting me no matter what. That still doesn’t nearly cover it, but hopefully it’s a start. Love you both.

Published on December 10, 2015 at 2:45 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27