Asst. Editorial Editor | Spring 2016; Editorial Editor | Fall 2016

Fun fact: I wanted to be an Opinion columnist freshman year. I applied, but didn’t get it. Still, I asked the Op editor at the time, Erin Kelly, for feedback as to what I could do better. I wasn’t salty. I took the rejection in stride and wrote around Syracuse University’s campus until Alexa Díaz suggested that I should apply to write for Op.

I don’t think she knew that I had been rejected for the Pop Culture position — #TBT — but it was worth the try. What was there to lose?

I got hired as the Gender and Sexuality columnist, and cut my teeth writing about everything from asexuality to LGBTQ adoption to “Hotline Bling” to Playboy. I loved the process so much that I forged path into 744 Ostrom Ave. as the first Assistant Editorial Editor in a while. But what I didn’t know when I applied to Editorial Editor was that the intimidating faces would become family and that the nightly grind of The Daily Orange become a musical rhythm. In between pitching and cementing stories, combing through news budgets and peer institutions for Editorial Board ideas and designing Op pages, I forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

Here’s me pouring one out digitally for the following.

Haley, Taylor, Stacy, Satoshi: When I get into the house each day, I have to make my stop to see the group of who are always smiling and have something lovely to say. Thank you guys for adding a little sunshine to my life.

Michael: Thanks for always indulging me in Drake discourse.

Chris: Thanks for never indulging me in Drake discourse, but talking to me about every other worthy rapper. Shout out to a fellow magazine major.

Tomer: Thanks for your kindness, your intuition and your endless support of Ariana Grande.

Casey, Rachel, Kathryn: Thanks for the memes, thanks the for the memories and thank you for the venom. I also learned a lot about horses and musical theater, so thanks for that, too.

Alexa Torrens: You’re going to do great in Op next semester. Thanks for being The D.O.’s Panera ambassador, being there when the columnists needed #developing and lending me moral support at Hot Topic.

Jacob: Thanks for also fighting me about Drake, for wilding perpetually and causing a ruckus in the house — we need it.

Lucy: Thank you for repping the DMV and letting me drop a line about BBC’s “Sherlock” every now and then.

Emma: Thank you for slaying my life with all of your amazing outfits.

Joanna: Thank you for regaling with tales of the Clinton campaign and the reasons you wear all black. Thank you for always encouraging me to do sushi, but for James Franco to do less. Thank you so much for all your sharp insight and passion that made working through election season more fun than anything.

Rachel: Thanks for always keeping the tea hot. It’s always such a treat to wander into Web when Op’s pages are getting checked or when I need to post, and get all the latest goss. Maybe next semester we can sit and chat at a certain spot in Cafe Kubal and talk about girls.

Sara: Thank you for being a pure human being. Thank you for your wisdom, your sass, your kindness, for always turning up “Heathens” in the car, for being a pal as we tear through the women’s and gender studies department, and for fangirling with me when Matty Healy blessed this dusty campus. London won’t know what hit them next semester.

Justin: Thank you for always being the voice of reason and sliding me that #InstitutionalMemory whenever I was looking for another angle for Edit Boards. I had a great time working with you and honing my hard industry skills — like giving haircuts in Pulp.

Alexa Díaz: Thank you so, so, so much. For everything. Thank you for being a great friend, for being so thoughtful and kind, and for giving me tough love when I needed it sophomore year. I can honestly say that you have shaped me as a human being and as a journalist and I wouldn’t be here, at The D.O. or at this point in my life and career, without you.

I’m wishing everyone in the Fall 2016 lineup the best, in all that they endeavor to do. Keep killing it, keep shining and let me know when there’s a really good Pup Food one day so I can stick around after reads.

Published on December 10, 2016 at 10:36 am