This job teaches you a lot about humility.

Vacuuming Digital, cleaning out old filing cabinets, scrubbing bathroom sinks. Watching carefully organized plans unravel and dissolve. Laughing at fantastic, spontaneous bursts of pure genius.

Your friends, loved ones and family around you.

I’ll never forget my time here. 744 Ostrom Ave. is my home. I owe that to all of you.

Schwed: I didn’t file my photos of a women’s soccer game once fall semester of freshman year. I fell asleep. You didn’t get too mad, though, and let me stick around. Thanks for always being a text away.

Jes: You answered the email of a random freshman in 2016, introducing me to 744 and a crazy world of deadlines, MACs, PUP food. I hope I didn’t let you down.

Clare: I’ve never met someone so committed to the craft. You inspire me and many others.

Jacob: You helped shape my first year at The D.O. Remember your critique of my Take Back the Night A1, way back when? I still do.

Sara: Playing cornhole at Modern Malt … doesn’t that seem like ages ago? (#4ever fall 2017.) I’ve still got your playlists on queue. Thanks for hanging out with a dork of a sophomore. I miss you.

Satoshi: You sell yourself short. You’re a talented, thoughtful reporter who’s always up for an assignment. Own that. Can’t wait to see you soon. (Tokyo or elsewhere!)

Delaney: We need to chill more. Thanks for always telling me to step back and rest. Especially this year. Drinks on me at The Wicked Glen?

Stacy: The first D.O. story I ever read on campus was your A1 profile of Michael Tick. I remember thinking, “Holy f*ck, I want to be as good as Stacy Fernández.” That’s still the case.

Haley K.: Poll: Would I have starved, if not for you giving me Cheerios? Yes or no. Not sure of the answer, myself. Hmu with reactions re: “The Tyrant’s Tomb.”

Taylor: We still never got to go hiking, did we? Maybe one day. I only got to work with you for a semester in News. I wish it had been two. Or five. (So it goes.)

Fortier: Your relentlessness, humor and powerful writing intimidated me. I wish our opioid project had worked out. Time flies. So it goes. Keep in touch, Sam.

Moreo: I can’t wait to see your photos on the FP of The New York Times. (Or WaPo, or TIME, or …)

Guti: This isn’t a goodbye. We’ve gotta swing by Columbia, again. That was a fun day.

Sandhya: I wish you had stayed in News. Not having you on my staff sucked.

Mary: We … were kicked out of the Taste of Buffalo. Well, not kicked out. But still. Absolutely unacceptable. I vote we make a dramatic return. We have to protest.

Shweta: Two days after Theta Tau’s suspension, you asked for advice re: warning kids of a “potentially rabid animal” next to a high school. Nottingham, I think. Never change.

Danny: Why did you go back to Op? Watching you grow as a News reporter was so great. C’mon. Sorry we trashed your house. I owe you.

Jessi: One of my best decisions as news editor was hiring you. Let’s grab Taco Bell at some point.

Casey: Please rest. I didn’t enough while in News.

Spring 2019 News Staff: Keep grinding. It’s worth it. And read McCullough’s “Move the Rock” speech.

Dan: I was serious. Let’s go to Iowa. Or New Hampshire.

Kai and Hieu: Hanging out on your roof was legendary. Here’s to many more nights heckling freshmen outside Big Red and watching barely visible stars spin.

Kelsey: You’re one of the strongest people I know. I’m glad we were head eds together.

Mackenzie: Your ability to deftly juggle time-consuming commitments and constantly motivate Video to do better was unreal. Too bad we didn’t cross paths much before I became a corporatist.

Lydia: I wish you hadn’t ducked so soon. You’re a natural leader. But, alas. Let’s co-byline something next year. I miss talking to you about SU’s politics. Someone’s gotta profile Kathleen Walters, right?

Andy: Six semesters is crazy. You’re an institution, here. And you’ll be the most successful of all of us. Mark my words. Catch ya as Snapchat’s CEO by 2024. 

Rori: You helped me remember that there’s a world outside of 744. I’m not sure how, exactly. But regardless, I really owe you. Coffee’s on me in Manhattan. Or ‘Cuse. Wherever. I can’t wait to see you this fall.

KJ: You’re fired. Seriously, though, good luck next year. I’m sure it’ll be dope.

Nick: You’re going to kill it in Naples. I admire your professional, compassionate handling of coverage.

McCleary: I’ve always been jealous of your eye for storytelling and clear vision in editing. Trust yourself. You get this. Mic drop: R-R-R-R-R-R-Rico-Rico. (So it goes.)

Schaf: Apathy is contagious. I now realize that. Which is why it’s been such an honor working alongside you. I’ve never seen you quit. You motivate all of us.

Graham: Sh*t, this is hard. Let’s run it back: 1. Who doesn’t love tutoring? 2. Remember that knife-wielding guy on South? 3. I think we, like, broke space-time or something writing our A1 at 3 a.m. in News. Too bad it was garbage. … Road trips, here we come. Miss you, man.

Colleen: Delta Omega for life! You’re one of my oldest friends, here. St. Lawrence River Extravaganza 2k19? Maybe we’ll find my shirt and sunglasses.

Spring 2018 Head Eds: -.– — ..- / –. ..- -.– … / — .- -.. . / .. – / .- .-.. .-.. / .– — .-. – …. / … — — . – …. .. -. –. .-.-.-

Maeve: It’s been real, Southern Tier. You carved out a place at 744 so quickly. It feels like I’ve never known the paper without Maeve Rute* on staff. Can’t wait to fight at Battle. *I’m so, so sorry.

Molly: Bucket list: Drive through Thornden again. … But let’s listen to “Old Town Road.” Down? I still laugh, thinking of that f*ck up. Thanks for always being sick and dope. You made this year so fun.

Justin: Indispensable. You hung that on a wall. (So it goes.) At the time, I thought it was silly. A bit dramatic. Now I know how wrong I was. This place means something. A lot, actually. Thanks for always answering my offbeat, random questions. You’ve inspired so many people.

Burke: I was incredibly lonely freshman year. I didn’t know what I was doing or why I’d come to SU. You took a chance on me. I owe you almost everything for that. I wouldn’t be half the writer/reporter/editor/person that I am now if I hadn’t met you.

Torrens: Not a day goes by that I don’t think of your editing advice. Even how I read stories is similar to your way of checking pages. (I always highlight and unhighlight graphs repeatedly, over and over. Super fast. It helps me think.) Above all else, as news editor I wanted to make you proud. I hope I did.

Alexa: You’re unbelievably kind. Driven, fierce and steadfast. Always ready to fight for those you care about. I don’t hold a candle to the EIC that you were. I’m grateful for that. I’ve learned so much from you. One day, I’ll be walking somewhere in California. I’ll pick up a copy of The Los Angeles Times. … I have a feeling I’ll see your name on the masthead.

Haley R.: Enjoy the ride. It’s tough, and sometimes frustrating. But it’s also worth all of the time and effort you’ll put in. Don’t lose sight of that. (You’re going to be amazing. I’ll see you on the other side.)

Kennedy: I don’t cry often. Hardly ever. But I remember that, during our mid-semester review this spring, I started to tear up. I was just … happy. Having one of my former assistants challenge me over decisions, push me to explain my actions and critique or criticize my news judgement a year after my own tenure was the best thing I could have asked for. Sitting down in the Morgue for that talk, I realized how far you had come since writing your GSO (or was it SGEU?) A1 at about 7 p.m. on a production night. I’m so proud of you. Kick ass in Philly, Kennedank.

Jordan: I grew up with you in News. We shared a few victories. A few defeats, too. And I’ll never forget any of it. I’ve yet to meet anyone else who so intrinsically gets why this sh*t matters. Here’s to a restful senior year. I think we’ve earned that, at the very least.

Talia: You know me better than everyone else at 744. And you know how hard it is for me to see much good in myself. Or others. You understand. And for that, I’m more thankful than you could know. I promise not to completely fall apart, post-EIC. I owe you a trip to the movies. (As long as we never see “Ready Player One” ever again. What a weird, weird film.)

Leffert: Falling down Clarendon’s hill. Driving with Graham to Friendly’s. Our read for Remembrance Week 2017. How you orchestrated the purchase of a plush red panda. … I won’t forget any of it. You’re one of my best friends. I’m excited for your tenure as ME, sure. But I’m more excited just to have you back on campus.

Bridget: I feel like we’re long-lost siblings. It’s so natural, talking to you. Complaining about COM 505. Cracking open a nice, cold can of ICE. (Sponsor us, please.) I’ll miss you so much. *For whatever reason, cue “S.T.A.Y.” by Hans Zimmer.* You’re the most level-headed, calming person I’ve ever met. Those traits will serve you well when you’re leading a design team, post-grad. Here’s to Massena. Cc: Aishwarya.

Aishwarya: *For whatever reason, cue “Twenty One” by Khalid.* Damn, bro. We did it. It’s an understatement how wild this semester was. We got a bad draw, more than a few times. But no matter what, I could count on you. And don’t worry, seriously. I’ll see you in New York City, soon. Bridg, too. And it’ll feel normal again. It doesn’t now. But it will.

Ali: Jeez. I have no idea what I would have done this year without you. If you hadn’t told me to shut up, stop complaining and get pumped. … Here’s to all of the crazy conversations, rants and, let’s be real, times we abused @channel. We’re more similar than I realized. I mean, pff. Now we literally have matching tattoos. Wherever we go in life, whether we actually run WaPo (haha) or end up drifting around the world, it doesn’t matter. We’ll have that to remember. #fernsforever. Hiking in Utah?

Dad, Mom and Lil: Thanks for putting up with this insanity for almost three years, now. I know it’s been a lot. I love you.

Published on April 29, 2019 at 5:06 am

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek