Editorial Editor | Fall 2015-Spring 2016; Managing Editor | Fall 2016-Spring 2017; Editor-in-Chief | Fall 2017-Spring 2018

The six staffs I’ve worked alongside at The Daily Orange made my three years here beautiful, challenging and unforgettable. So have the alumni, community members, donors and readers whose contributions make experiences like mine possible. But I won’t dig into that gratitude here. Spending these years working full time requires friends with a supportive love you can plug into as needed, and this is for those who made 744 home.

Mara: You’ve seen me in more vulnerable moments than most, and your reflex to help in any way needed is why I’m forever loyal to you. You led our team with grace, and I’ve tried to live up to the standard you set since day one. Thank you for teaching me to lead with love.

Brett: Opinion could be a lonely place as a one-person section on a chilly, backroom porch, but you were my friend before you were my editor and that rocked my world. Saying goodbye to you on your last night of production was one of the toughest because the way you included me — whether it was weekend fast-food trips or an honorary spot in The Nice Person Club — made a profound difference in my time here. Thank you for teaching me everyone is replaceable.

Chloe: Chloe, I’ve said you’re magic, and that’s because your presence alone makes things brighter and more hopeful. Being able to work with you was a highlight during my four years in Syracuse, and catching rides home with you and Mara made it all the sweeter. You’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and you’ll always have a fan in me.

Erin: Thank you one million times over for editing me, growing me and bringing me into The D.O. universe.

Paul: Some of my favorite moments as ME were spent trying to keep you awake during Syracuse football coverage at your apartment. Mountain Dew and a phone call on me, anytime.

Satoshi: I’m incredibly proud of you. You’ll always have a friend in me. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, there will be love for you at The D.O. and from the people you worked with.

Kiran: Your emphasis on contributing to The D.O. as a learning institution is what we should all work to accomplish. Thank you for paying it forward for the next gen.

Taylor: I look at you and I have so much faith in the good you will do in your life. You’ve added so much worth here, and your unmatched talent to be a friend to everyone is something I hope to emulate. No matter where you go, know you are cherished.

Fortier: You’re golden, Sam Fortier. Thank you for everything — for Boston, for making things brighter and for being so human.

Stacy: The summer I was managing editor, you sent me an email telling me you were glad we had a Latina in management. That message meant the world to me. Stay bold and unapologetic.

Haley Kim: You’re a gem of a reporter and a treasure of a friend. Thank you for being a star.

Andy: Andy, The D.O. is incredibly fortunate to have you. I’m so excited for you and your ventures here and well beyond.

Emma: The talent, drive and joy you carry has amazed me since we met. I can’t wait to see where it takes you.

Aishwarya: I have supreme trust that your brilliance and kind heart are exactly what The D.O. needs. I look forward to watching your growth as a leader here.

Chris: You’re an alarmist, and that’s kept our conversations interesting. Thank you for listening and for understanding.

Burke: The evolution of our relationship is special to me because only we could understand it. For that, please know I’ll have a place in my heart for you and support you always.

Kathryn: Thank you for being the most unique person I’ve ever known and for being a sister to me. I’m going to miss your clever comebacks and the way you offer to help with anything that may be needed. You’re going to take on the world, and I can’t wait to cheer you on while you do.

Rachel Sandler: Sweet Rachel, I’m glad I’ve only known one semester in Syracuse that you weren’t here. With love, I’m proud to be your friend.

Sam Ogozalek: I’m so excited for you and the wonderful adventure you have ahead, Sam. Your knack for what’s right will do so much good for The D.O. and the community it serves. I can’t wait to see you lead a better, brighter and stronger generation of The D.O. next year.

Tomer: Thank you for being everything I could ever ask of a friend without me ever needing to ask. I’m so glad I met you.

Lucy Sutphin: You have given The D.O. so much, and I’m deeply grateful to you for that and far more. We have a sisterhood now that will follow us no matter where we go — Dubai or otherwise.

Caroline Colvin: You knew me before I joined The D.O. staff. BBB-living, spends-weekends-in-basements-listening-to-music-by-mediocre-white-boys me. And I knew you. BBB-living, loves-Marvel-Comics-with-an-intersectional-feminist-lens you. Your beautiful heart and brilliant mind have made me feel lucky to be your friend since we met. It’s been a blessing to grow alongside you.

Lucy Naland: Lucy, I’m lucky to know your sweet and loving soul. I adore you for the deep kindness, thoughtful words and remarkable humor you’ve invested in our friendship. Watching you grow and flourish in your talent has been one of the greatest parts of working with you. I’ll treasure our friendship — and you — forever.

Sara: Sara, you have the biggest heart I’ve ever known and no matter what, please know I am cheering you on in everything you do. You have been one of the best parts of working at The D.O. and of my time at Syracuse University, and I promise that feeling is shared by many. Leaving you will be one of the toughest parts of graduating because you have been such a cherished constant for every wonderful thing you are. I love you, Sara.

Clare: Clare, I think of you and I think of home. I don’t mean Southern California, but the warmth and welcome you extended to me that made The D.O. comforting for a homesick freshman and fundamentally changed my college years for the best. My fairy godmother, mentor, sister, you were the first connection I made in Syracuse and one of the most important. We worked together, studied together and interned together, which still amazes me. Anyone who has the chance to work alongside you is incredibly lucky. I miss sitting 10 feet away from you during our summer at Los Angeles Magazine, and I hope another day soon we work together in some office somewhere. I love and adore you, Clare.

Justin: Thank you for asking me to ice cream, for letting me serve as your managing editor and for being such a brilliant soul I’m lucky to know as one of my best friends. Working with you taught me more than you know about life, journalism and family, because you’re my family. Thank you for answering my calls, being there for me and for doing so much indispensable work in your time at The D.O. I’ve missed you every day this year, and that won’t stop when graduation ends. I can’t wait to show you Los Angeles. I can’t wait to catch up and just be together so we can laugh at chasing news into graveyards, spoon-fed milkshakes and a extraordinary year in management together. I can’t wait to catch up so we can follow each other into our futures on the same, post-grad page.

Alexa: It’s always been so easy to find humor in our shared name — the way it’s an easy icebreaker, the way it sits twice, side-by-side in bold ink on the masthead and the way it made us “The Alexas.” But it’s so natural to me now because in being the best friend I’ve ever had, you’ve become a core part of my life and of me — truly an exceptional part of me that has made me a better person. You’re going to do so much good in the years to come, and I pray that some way, somehow, I don’t have to watch from afar for most of that time. I hope tonight, next month and many years from now we can go to dinner and watch movies — just be happy together the way we have in our time here. Thank you for being a managing editor that made The D.O. great, and thank you for being my best friend that made my time in Syracuse everything I could have possibly wanted. Here’s to California.

Published on May 1, 2018 at 2:45 am

Contact Alexa: adiaz02@syr.edu | @alexalucina