The first time I stepped foot on Syracuse University was move-in day. Being from Los Angeles, it was tough adjusting to a place so far away from home, but The Daily Orange was the best thing that happened to me. This place has caused more headaches than all classes combined, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that nothing gets done unless you love what you do. And I’ve been so fortunate to not only be surrounded by people who are equally as passionate for storytelling as I am, but also to be able to call them my family. 

Mom, Dad, John: It’s hard to be away from you, but through it all, I’ve appreciated you more. Thank you for your undying support in everything I do. I hope I’m making you proud.

Lizzie: Thanks for hiring me and giving me my start at The D.O. Just remember that no matter what, I’m a designer at Hart.

Casey: You were a peer adviser, EIC and friend all in one, and I owe my D.O. involvement to you. Legendary fam forever.

Chase: It took you a while to stop calling me Chloe, but I loved working with someone as passionate as you.

Ankur: The highlight of my designer days was when you complimented my bracket spread. You’re a legend, and I’ve got so much respect for your talent. 

Lindsay: One of my favorite things to do was to give you nightly hugs. I loved working with you in design, and thought you were an awesome PD.

Beth: We never worked together but it felt inappropriate to leave you out. Never let the sass die.

Kristin: You knew I belonged in Pulp. Never forget you were the first head-ed I designed for.

Joe: Remember when you unplugged the design computer? Thanks for the elf costume and for all the advice when I first started in Featch.

Vandy: If you hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t have met you and that would’ve been terrible. You helped me so much with my stories and concert coverages, and I only wish that we somehow were able to be Feature Creatures together. Just know that your name will live on forever in the Pulp office.

Annie, Maggie, Michelle: I’m so glad I still saw you all a lot this year. Thanks for hosting all the parties and to Annie, for writing some Pulp stories.

Alfred: The one thing I’ll thank you for — giving me my first article. 

Margaret: I loved that I was the first friend you made at The D.O. Here’s to future adventures in London.

Josh Romero: #Clarefest

Erin G. Kelly: Never just “Erin.” It was an honor being kicked off the computer every night by you.

Audrey: You have such a strong personality, and I admire the way you speak what you think, no filter.

Leslie: I’m glad Pulp provided you with stories for video. Please keep bringing cute dogs to the house.

Matt: Dude, we’re going to have a blast in London. But like, get out of Pulp.

Sydney: I loved having another LA girl around, and you always killed it when designing for us. 

Max: It was refreshing having someone from Shaw join The D.O., and our late-night YouTube sessions while checking pages are always on point. I love that you’re sticking around. 

Momin: You’ve got a lot of fresh ideas — use The D.O. to execute them. I see a lot of potential in you, and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.

Sports: Whether it was being in the room as a designer or hearing you put it on the board, you guys always had something interesting going on. You bring a lot of talent and personality to this house, so keep doing what you’re doing and stretch.

Sara Swann: Pulp teases you out of love. Good luck next fall when it undoubtedly gets worse — just don’t forget to spell check.

Justin Mattingly: You’re one of my favorite people in this place, and I know News will be strong with you in charge. Thanks for grabbing me ice cream from the dining hall without my asking — it always made my night.

Nick: Thanks for the memories and the jam session that never happened. You’ll always be the best pong partner ever. #SevenInARow

Brett: You’ve been a great friend — Hi, Jon — and I’m going to get serious FOMO, but I know that you’ll be a great ME. Bring Brett Roulette back. 

Sam Blum: Despite your jokes about my last name — which I might actually miss — I really admire the passion you have for journalism and The D.O. It’s the reason you’re going to kill it as SE.

Brendan: You brought great wit into Pulp, and we made a kickass tag team, whether it was A2s or writing cutlines. I missed laughing at your fake headlines. Alopecia — never forget.

Jackie: You’ve been there whenever I needed to talk to someone who was in my shoes. I learned a lot from my experiences, and I owe part of that to you. Thanks for everything.

Georgie: Having another person in Pulp as sassy, if not sassier, than me was awesome. I loved your drive to make your stories the best they can be — don’t lose that.

Kait: You were the mother in Pulp this spring. I loved having you as an assistant, and I hope you keep writing stories for The D.O. Say hi to Marvin for me.

Alex: I’m so proud of you. From Meet Monday to Prasch, I loved watching you grow as a writer. You’re taking on a lot next fall, but I’m confident you’ll kill it. Believe in what you can do, keep smiling and remember when you’re editor on.

Kat: “It’s a Mexican thing.” Babe, I’m so glad you came back this semester and that our friendship has blossomed. You’re so multi-faceted, and I can only imagine the impressive things you’ll accomplish in Pulp. *Insert rose emoji here*

Jacob: I don’t know how I would’ve functioned without you. You have an enthusiasm for learning that I can’t find in a lot of people. Follow through with your ideas and make Pulp a f*cking party. I’ll be an email away if you need anything or if you just want to ask about my open-toed shoes.

Jon: Despite how you openly dislike me, you’re actually one of my closest friends. Obviously I know you’re going to miss me as much as I’m going to miss you, but no worries. Just wait for my daily emails. You’ll love them.

Emily, Dani, Zack, Justin, Gautam: From our movie nights to forts in the living room, you reminded me to have fun and take things easy. Thanks for making this semester one of the best — and for being patient when I had to edit stories.

Chris and Stephen: It’s heartbreaking that I won’t see you until 2016. Stephen, you’ve been a great friend and I don’t know what I would’ve done without our talks. Chris, you’ve been my rock and have been there when I needed someone, especially when things got stressful. I expect Skype calls from both of you next fall. (And The D.O. still trumps WAER.)

Lara: I feel like I’ve come a long way since you gave me my first A1, and I owe it to your faith in my abilities. Thank you for always pushing me to do my best and teaching me that I don’t need to do everything on my own.

Meredith: Remember when I wasn’t in your duck? And when I typed “whore” on the front page? I give you so much sass, but I hope realize that the amount of sass directly correlates to how much I respect, love and look up to you. Thank you for all you did for me as an editor and a friend. I’ll miss you so much.

Frankie: From covering Bandersnatch concerts to almost burning down my kitchen, it’s been a wonderful working with you, with plenty of tears and laughter along the way. But we did it, and more importantly, we did it together. You’re my favorite diva, always and forever. 

Chloe and Mara: Sept. 15, 2013 was our first Sunday meeting as the only freshmen in house, and look at us four semesters later — head editors. Mara, you’re the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, and I’m glad you didn’t let your first impression of me get in the way of us being friends. I’m excited to see where you’ll take the paper as editor in chief. Chloe, PD’s a job that has had your name on it since you walked in this house, and I can’t wait to check Issuu every day to see the paper’s design. I love you girls so much, and I’ll miss you.

Future D.O. members: I’m jealous of you. You’ve got an incredible experience coming your way, and I can only hope that The D.O. will do as much for you as it did for me. Long live Delta Omega.

Published on April 28, 2015 at 3:31 am

Contact Clare: clramire@syr.edu