Duck: Stephanie Wright

As soon as I first heard about The Daily Orange on a campus tour, I knew I wanted to be part of it, but thought I would only be able to join in a couple years once my writing skills were strong enough. Turns out my timeline was slightly accelerated.

Working here has been the most meaningful and rewarding experience of my life. Though I often felt frustrated, I knew that truly, it wasn’t really about me, it was about the work our paper does to responsibly inform our community. Now, as I leave, my advice is similar. Work hard, take care of yourself, and don’t lose sight of why you’re doing this essential work.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the unquantifiable lessons I have learned here and for everyone along the way. I hope my words sufficiently shed light on how important this place and the people in it are.

—

Kyle Chouinard

When I describe working with you, I often say you are the person who has taught me the most about journalism. That’s not an exaggeration. Thank you for being my mentor for the past year and a half. I know I can go to you with any problem and rely on you for thorough advice and genuine empathy. Even though I sometimes get annoyed when you text story ideas at 2 a.m., I admire your infinite passion for journalism. I am constantly impressed by your sharp, analytical eye, your sense of the bigger picture and the voice you’ve developed. Take care of yourself while you chase stories. I can’t wait to see what you do in the future.

Anish Vasudevan

When we first sat down in Food.com (where else) and talked about my potential future as news editor, I could immediately see how much you care about journalism and how dedicated you are to growth. I really admire the tenacity and innovative spirit you bring to being EIC. You’ve cultivated an environment of accountability, integrity, dynamism and fun. I hope to be as good an editor as you. Thank you for all you do, I’m so grateful we worked together this semester.

Sophie Szydlik

Not only are you an avid and thoughtful storyteller, you care deeply about the creative process behind journalism. Thank you for making sure our stories actually get read and our visuals team gets credited. You bring light and joy everywhere you go with your sense of humor and beauty inside and out. You’re leaving a shining legacy at The D.O. and I’m proud of you for taking the step back you needed.

Kendall Luther

I don’t think I can fit everything I have to say to you in this. I am so proud of you for taking on the news editor role, and I am so confident in your abilities to manage it. I knew you would play an important role at The D.O. as soon as I edited your first SA story – I literally slacked Kyle “I LOVE KENDALL” your first night in house. Your writing goes above and beyond and you bring the intention and sharpness necessary for responsible reporting. I am so grateful I could rely on you to deliver high quality feature stories this semester in addition to your expertise in other areas of writing. I admire you so much and I know you will lead the news section deftly.

Dominic Chiappone

You are an invaluable asset to every space you dedicate yourself to. It has been an honor to work with you and see your exponential growth as a writer and editor. All you do has never gone unnoticed. Your character and friendship are genuine and tenacious. Thank you for bringing your unending story ideas, energy, snacks, and humor to the newsroom. You will do wonderful things and you will be greatly missed.

Roxanne Boychuk

In our time working together, I’ve known you as a reliable SA writer, a hardworking reporter, a careful editor, and someone who can make me cry with laughter. Thank you for your contributions to the environment and output of the newsroom. Working as a news assistant is not easy your first semester in house, but you embraced what The D.O. had to offer and took challenges in hand. I’m so happy you are continuing with The D.O.

Faith Bolduc

I’m glad you jumped into being an assistant for your first semester on staff. I appreciate the work you did while balancing your other commitments. You are a genuinely creative person and I’ll keep an eye out for your future articles and screenplays.

Claire Harrison

I’m really not sure how you pulled off your schedule this semester, but somehow you managed to be a diligent copy editor and writer while also being drum major. I really appreciate that you communicated with me about your needs and worked with me to find solutions, and I’m proud of you for finishing strong. You were a staffer I could trust with a variety of stories, from coverages to write-ups to profiles. Keep writing. Let’s hang out in Spain!

Claire Samstag

Your writing growth throughout our time working together is impressive. I appreciate your diligent attention to feedback – and that you asked for it earnestly in the first place – as well as your persistence on challenging assignments. I’m proud to see you become an assistant next semester. I can tell you’re dedicated to your writing and The D.O.’s work. You never fail to lighten up the newsroom with your stories and I hope to work with you more in the future.

Samantha Olander

It has been a privilege to work with you. Although I was admittedly nervous to bring you on staff because you hadn’t written for The D.O. yet, I was blown out of the water by your first write-up assignment, and I’ve been amazed by every story you’ve delivered since. You’re one of the strongest reporters I’ve worked with and I hope you stick around for a while.

Cassandra Roshu, Maxine Brackbill, & Bridget Overby

Thank you for working with me as I got my bearings with visuals. You are all so passionate about telling visually engaging stories and I appreciate all you do to engage writers with your processes. I’m so glad you’re all staying on next semester. I wish you luck!

Nate Lechner, Tyler Schiff, & Stefanie Mitchell

Working with you was a joy and privilege this semester. You are intelligent, hard-working, and always fun to be around. Although I probably won’t miss budget meetings, I will miss seeing you all. Nate, thank you for the kitchen conversations and for delivering a solid range of culture stories. Stef, even though your spelling of your name is incorrect, you’re still really cool and you did an incredible job leading opinion. I’m excited for you to be DME. Tyler, though I barely know anything about sports, I can tell you’ve been a strong leader for your staff and I wish you luck in your last semester.

Jana Seal

I learned so much from your editing of my stories. You gave me the best advice I’ve gotten as news editor, which I carried with me and would pass on to anyone else – to not let the pressure to publish a story compromise its quality or integrity. Thank you for all you have taught me. Thank you for trusting me. I knew you were rooting for me all semester.

Grace Katz

I missed your presence in the newsroom this semester, but I know you are excelling at NYU. You always brought a sense of humor and perspective even on stressful nights. Thank you for coming back when news needed you after you had already ducked. You are a true friend and I hope to run around NYC with you soon.

Francis Tang

Your encouragement to apply to The D.O. is what got me started here in the first place. Thank you for helping me feel like The D.O. was a place I could be a part of by welcoming me to the house and working with me to edit my first news article. I’m happy to see your current journalism work thriving.

Katie McClellan

Thank you for being my rock outside the house this semester. I am so grateful to have grown our friendship and I know I can trust you with anything. I spent last fall quietly admiring your stories and I felt honored to edit your work this semester. Thank you for your unending kindness and insight.

Mom, Dad, Lindsay & Gillian

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being genuinely excited for me as I took on this job after I vehemently swore I was done working for The D.O. Mom and Dad, I remember calling you outside the house this spring as I grappled with the responsibilities ahead of me; your gentle advice and unwavering support helped me know I could take it on. Lindsay and Gillian, thank you for always bringing light into my life and listening to my rants over the phone. I love you and I can’t wait to see you soon.

—

With all my love, goodbye for now.