The Daily Orange has given me an unforgettable experience and so many memories over these last 6 semesters. I remember first walking into the D.O.’s old house (the one that doesn’t exist anymore) having no idea what I wanted to do in college or beyond.

Oh my god, am I really one of the last people still here that remember that creaky old house?! I really need to retire already and jet off to Italy…

This is for all the D.O.ers: the ones that have already gone on to do bigger and better things, the ones who are there now to carry on a great legacy, and the future ones crazy enough to dedicate so much of their free time to a school newspaper. It’s more than a newspaper—it’s a family.

Talia: You were the first person I met in 744, and you made me feel welcome immediately. You became my patient mentor over the years as I went from someone who had never touched InDesign to a confident designer and Presentation Director. You were my first guide on how to be PD, and you’ve become someone I really look up to. You might not even know this, but you were the one who convinced me to switch my major to graphic design. Thank you for teaching me the power of art direction through example—you led the entire visuals section with empathy, humility, and passion.

Maya: “Hey, I’ve never met you before, but do you want to go on a group Adirondacks trip with me next week?” Or something along those lines. That was my first introduction to you. And that adventure was just the first of many. We’ve been through so many ups and downs together—all the stress and successes of Typographic Design, figuring out how to exist during a pandemic, and sharing our dreams for the future while sleep-deprived in the D.O. Visuals room. We even managed to pull off designing Basketball Guide in one day, and I still don’t know how. Thank you for being one of my first really good, genuine friends in the D.O. and the graphic design major. Don’t stop drawing those food illustrations—you have an uncanny talent for them.

KJ, Danny Emerman, Dabbundo, and the Sports Crew of Fall ‘19: Y’all terrified me at first. I was just this quiet, intimidated, freshman designer who had no idea what the hell I was doing. And the Sports section was this chaotic room full of basketballs being thrown, multiple different sports games playing simultaneously, and walls plastered with old papers and mac point boards. But you guys brought me out of my shell and immediately made me feel part of the team, and I’ll forever be thankful that Sports was the first section I designed for.

Emily, Katie G., Nabeeha—that first team of designers: Honestly, I was intimidated by you at first; here you all were, already comfortable with InDesign and each other, and even already doing illustrations for print too (that was you Nabeeha). But that all melted away once we all started talking in our little design meeting spot by the printer named Betty. Everyone was at a different point, but we were all there to design this paper together.

Visuals Team 2022: The dream team! You are the last design team I trained and the one that I’m so sad to leave behind now. I can’t wait to see where you all go from here. The chaos and comfort that is the visuals room is because of you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We talked and debated about anything and everything from the best party parrots to add to Slack, to relationships, to our dream careers. You all constantly inspire me and keep me laughing. Keep dreaming and creating.

Morgan: You are a fiercely kind, loyal, dedicated designer and leader, and overall a badass. I’m so excited to see where you take the Visuals section from here, and even more so excited to watch where you go from there.

Danny Kahn: I can always count on you for dramatically closing doors when people are being rude (ahem, News). You’ve added so much to the culture of the Visuals section ever since I forced you to join the D.O. two semesters ago.

Max: Visuals’ very own Apple tech expert, visionary, and future photo editor. Please continue the legacy of the Visuals room being the best one in the house.

Meghan: The first memory that comes to mind is you playing your clarinet around the house for a Secret Santa task. Thank you for helping me put the food for Valentine’s Day guide back together after my roommate’s cat destroyed it. You add so much spunk to the D.O. and every room you walk into—hold on to that.

Anthony: I blame you for the war between Visuals and News with that godforsaken EDM music at height deadline time. All jokes aside though, you fit into the DME role and the D.O. as a whole right away. You add a fun energy to the house, and I admire how you genuinely get to know everyone who walks through our doors. I don’t know how you do it all, but I do know you definitely need to get some sleep once in a while. Oh, and thank you for the lesson on how to dap up.

Corey: The master playlist maker. I didn’t even know what your job was for a few weeks, but I knew for damn sure you were responsible for the great tunes pouring out of visuals each evening and the personalized playlists you made for so many people in the house. Now I know better—you’re a dedicated and very talented photographer who always has time to be kind to everyone. You and Talia ruled the visuals team like the queens you are.

Emily: You’re attentive, thoughtful, and incredibly dedicated to the D.O. When people talk, you listen with your whole heart. We both started as young little designers three years ago and now look at the passionate EIC you’ve become. You’ve taught me so much about journalistic integrity and storytelling and helped me become a better designer—thank you.

Mandy: I think you might be the only one left in the house that has been here longer than me! You’ve always been a quiet but loyal constant in this house, and I know wherever you go next will be lucky to have you.

Skyler: You are an absolute queen in every sense of the word. You approach everyone with a bright, kind attitude, and you led that Sports section brilliantly. I will also remember your fun series of scribbles.

Anya: It’s not often you get to work with a talented photographer who is also great at arranging spoons and carrots to perfection, and an overall great person to work with. Those two food spreads are still among my favorite projects from the D.O., and I think a lot of that is because of the experience—messing with the little details that no one else would notice and laughing over how much thought was going into picking a tablecloth color. GOOD SOUP!

Nabeeha: You are hands down one of the most confident and badass people I know, and I really admire that. I know you heard this a lot with people hyping up your work on Slack, but believe me when I say: your illustrations are stunning. Somehow, you manage to keep surprising me. I’m so thrilled I had the chance to work with you these three years, and I can’t wait to see where your talent and determination take you from here.

Hailey and Leffert: What a power duo. You were the first EIC and ME pair I saw in action, and you led this paper with so much love and dedication. I remember wondering if you lived at the D.O. house after never seeing you leave and seeing you walk around comfortably in slippers. You led the paper through two hectic and crazy semesters, but somehow you kept everyone’s spirits up and made everyone feel comfortable at the D.O.

Kevin: I really got to know you during Pixels & Print last year, but I remember briefly meeting you in 744 my first semester. You have such a passion for design, a knack for UI/UX, and empathy for your peers. You inspire me and are someone who I really look up to.

Kyle: You have brought so much lightheartedness and fun along with dedication and passion for this paper. You also randomly have a good design sense—I still think you should jump ship and join the Visuals team.

Henry: Your random pop-ins into visuals brought stress relief with them somehow—you’re a very positive and funny person. I remember when you asked the room if anyone wanted to learn how to post a WordPress story, and then you diligently walked me through every part when I said yes. Now I’m not lying on my resume anymore, so thank you for making me a more honest person.

Casey: I remember that terrifying moment when you Slacked me after Lacrosse Guide 2020: we submitted the pages backward, and the back page ad was printed as the cover. You were so patient with me as a learned the ropes of being Presentation Director that first semester, and I’m so thankful for that.

Emma: You are the type of person that looks kind naturally. You are also an incredibly talented journalist with a great sense of style. I really admire how you managed the news section and then the entire paper as ME with grace and diligence.

Nate: You are a spectacular leader—with both Op and Culture, you led those sections efficiently while still managing to be friendly and understanding with everyone. Thank you for giving me so many opportunities to design fun food spreads.

Louis: Another past Culture editor, you brought a refreshing and fun energy to that room. I don’t remember why we were wandering around the Farmer’s Market looking for fresh herbs, but either way, thank you for always being open to those crazy ideas.

Francis: Thank you for a very entertaining Secret Santa task—to write a love letter to comic sans. That was a hard one to do. You inspire me with your dedication, focus, and passion for the D.O. and journalism.

Yiwei: You are a great designer and illustrator, and I could always count on you. Anyone who has the pleasure of working with you in the future will be so lucky.

Richard and Maggie: You are the 4th EIC/ME pair I’ve seen at this house, which means it’s definitely time for me to get out of here and finally retire. With a pair of dedicated and talented journalists at the head of the D.O., I’m confident you will continue this paper’s great legacy!

Mom, Dad, and Sarah: When I told you about the long, late nights at the D.O., you didn’t understand why I did it at first. But you saw how excited I was about my work and how much I loved spending all my extra time there. Thank you for always supporting me and being the first people I send my designs to.

Published on May 5, 2022 at 7:00 am