I’m incredibly thankful for the work I’ve done and the opportunities I’ve had at my time at The D.O., but the people I’ve met are who I’m most thankful for. 

We all know I’m not a words person, but here goes:

Molly: It’s all thanks to you that The D.O. was on my radar in the first place. Thanks for texting me about photos daily, and I’m so sorry I didn’t take more opportunities, but you got my foot in the door and now I’m writing a duck, so it’s thanks to you. Thank you for your constant support.

Talia: The visuals mom, thank you for your constant support and for dealing with my never-ending, nagging questions. You’re incredibly talented in everything you do, and you created a visuals department that fostered creativity and friendship. You were an incredible PD, and I know you’re going to do amazing things in the future even though I will miss you so much. You’re incredible.

Kevin: Your smile and happy attitude always puts me in a good mood. Thanks for constantly being the hype man for my photos.

Sarah A.: My Philly girl, please continue to be the life of the party and keep up the hard work.

Roshan: You have real talent, kid, and I can’t wait to see what you continue to do. Sorry I won’t be there to find a photo for you every five minutes, but I think you can survive without me. 

Sarah, Chris and Maggie: You freshmen walked into a crazy year for journalism at The D.O. and handled it so well. You’e prepared now for everything that comes at you, and I thank you for your patience and dedication.

KJ and Gabe: I don’t care what anyone says. You both are real photographers. Thanks for filling both the house and the Slack channel with noise and laughter. Also, thanks for being fans of my photos.

Aro: Thanks for always crashing visuals even after you ducked. No matter how dumb your jokes are, they still make me laugh. And if it makes you happy, you can still tell people that I’m your best friend, though Corey and Sarah may take issue with that. 

Dab: Thanks for fighting me about everything under the sun (the dress was blue and black) and constantly telling me how crappy my high school was. Thanks for contributing to the sports boy noise and laughter. 

Danny: Thanks for my new favorite nickname, Chillman. So sorry your time as sports editor got cut short, but you did an amazing job while you could. 

Crane: You’re going to do so well as sports editor, and I’m so excited for you. It’s always a great day to work with you in the sports realm, and don’t worry, I’ll continue to feed you mediocre sports photos even if I’m not in house. Looking forward to great things from sports next semester. 

The visuals team: Thanks for filling every night with laughter and music and making a new building feel like a lived-in home. We are the heart of the house and have finally overtaken sports. Don’t let them take it back.

Emma and Casey: You both survived a semester each as news editor during an eventful year at The D.O. and did so calm and collected. I have no doubt that you will both run an excellent paper, and I’m so proud of the both of you. Thank you for your constant support. Emma, you will always be the best dressed at The D.O., and Casey, I hope beary never leaves your side.

Nabeeha: I’m so darn proud of you. You’re going to do so well as PD, and I can’t wait to see the wonderful things you do with the paper next semester. I’m going to miss laughing so hard we can’t breathe about stupid things in the visuals room or your comments in overheard. I will 100% come to visit, and Corey and I will wave outside our window across the street.

Emily: We could always count on you for literally anything — photos, designs, a smile — and that is why you are going to be an insanely good photo editor. I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do #queenofoverheard.

Haley and Leff: The staff wouldn’t have run nearly as smoothly without the two of you. Through a year of trying events, you both stayed calm, collected and willing to help anyone in any way. You are kindhearted souls who can always be counted on, and I know the whole staff is thankful for that.

Sarah: I’m so proud of you, my dude. I’m so sorry that your first semester got cut short, but I know you’re absolutely going to kill it next year, and Emily is lucky to have you. I’m so proud of your growth in photography in the last year, and I can’t wait to see what you do. I’ll always be there for you if you need me, but you are so capable and are going to do so much more than I ever did. You’re amazing, dude.

Corey: My roommate, my personality twin, my partner in crime. I can’t thank you enough for encouraging me to join this family. I can’t imagine anyone better to have worked with through this long, difficult and confusing year. You’re insanely reliable, wicked with a spreadsheet and one of the most genuinely kind humans I have ever known. You gave everything you had to this paper. (I have proof of that as your roommate). You put together a cohesive team that worked so well together through the ups and the huge downs of this year. You made your mark on this paper, and I will never know how to thank you for making me a part of that. I think we left behind a great chapter. Thank you for everything. Love you, dude. 

Published on April 26, 2020 at 2:05 pm