Writing this duck has felt like an impossible task ever since I started my tenure as editor-in-chief. After over a hundred bylines, you would think that writing would come easily. But writing about a place that has shaped you like The Daily Orange has for me is anything but.

I started writing for The D.O., like most of us did, as a terrified but eager freshman. I leave a different person. Joining the record of journalists who have served as editor-in-chief was an honor I was humbled to have this year.

It feels impossible to condense everything I’ve learned and how much this place has given me into one piece. So, I’ll leave some bits of parting advice below before I say my goodbyes.

Be curious. Be observant. Be humble. Be human. Listen well. Write what you know. Learn about what you don’t know, and then write about it so your readers can know, too. Surrender to the inevitability of making mistakes and commit to learning from each one. Be patient with yourself and others. Have fun, take story assignments you wouldn’t normally go for, and do the things that scare you. It’s all so worth it.

The D.O. has emerged as the most influential aspect of my college career, and one of the most influential aspects of my life. I cannot thank this place and the people in it enough.

—

Cooper Andrews: I’ve said many times to many people that I loved being editor-in-chief and that it felt easy for me. You are the reason why I can say that truthfully. I could not have asked for or envisioned a better partner to work alongside this year. Your support bolstered me through every heavy challenge and small frustration.
I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical when Anish and Kyle basically informed me that you would be my managing editor. I didn’t know you at all. I just knew you were a tall sports kid (one of few). But, I quickly realized how important it would be to balance news and sports in management. And I was so relieved to hear you would stick with ME for the whole year. I remember the countless calls we had when I was in Spain. Thank you for being patient with me while I transitioned in from a different continent. Whenever we called, I was struck over and over again by how smart and discerning you were, how wise you were beyond your years, and most of all, how freakishly in line we were with our thoughts on the paper’s future. We endured a nightmarish transition period and always kept our eyes on what truly mattered going into this year.
Fast forward to when we met for real in August. Not only was I ecstatic about being neighbors (shoutout OPR, your car [Rapunzel], and hanging out after work on the back porch), but I was also thrilled to read and edit your writing. To this day, your writing is some of the most immaculate I’ve ever read. I actually became invested in your sports stories, which is saying a lot. I will yap your praises all day long — especially now that I’ve helped you sort through your uses of “Though,” “But,” and “Yet.”
Throughout the year, I’ve been proud and honored to know you as a writer, editor, and friend. Being a journalist isn’t easy. Leading a staff of student journalists isn’t easy. But we did it. We can both look back and proudly say we accomplished our goals and have no regrets. This paper is better because of us. Thank you for sticking with me through countless late nights, Recess runs, last-minute Sunday meeting planning sessions, scrambles to deadlines, and challenging conversations. Thank you for always being willing to check over an email draft or cover letter for me. Thank you for letting me be angry and messy and frustrated behind a closed management door whenever I needed to take a break from being a leader and just be a human. Thank you for pushing me to be the best journalist I can be — you inspired me, truly, whether you knew it or not. Your belief in me, especially during the most significant project I’ve ever worked on, is a contributor to my success. Never, ever doubt your capabilities as a reporter, writer, editor, or leader. Your ability to craft timely, relevant stories while staying true to your own voice is remarkable. You have one of the strongest work ethics I’ve ever witnessed.
We made this paper together, Cooper. Now, let’s rest. Maybe we can share some delectable seafood for breakfast on the Cape. I’ll even let you take me to a sports game in Chicago. Just don’t let me go inside another TJ Maxx or take another Jagerbomb. See you soon, brotha.

Aiden Stepansky: I don’t think I ever told you this, but my secret nickname for you to Cooper was Baiden Bobansky. Of course, I know your nickname for me. Hearing “Shteblephanie” and seeing your bright smile in the midst of any production night always lifted my spirits. I always knew you to be a determined worker at The D.O., and I was happy to welcome you into the DME role when Cooper told me you wanted it. But, honestly, I was unsure of why you wanted to leave sports and be DME. Then I read your packet, and your ideas impressed me. You approached the digital side of the paper with wisdom, realism, and a sense of confident creativity that helped to break out of stagnant routines and make over our online presence. One of my overarching goals for The D.O. under my EIC tenure was to see a digital revitalization, and because of you, that has materialized. No matter how demanding a night as DME was, you stayed on top of your sh*t and even frequently wrote entire stories after the DME shift. You’re built different for that. Thank you for pushing the dig section to be the best it could be and patiently working with me on my news dig edits.
You’ve set a lasting legacy at The D.O. and I’m excited to see you continue to grow next year.
You have to go to school now. And make sure your ducks stay in that row of theirs.

Kendall Luther: This Ken’s job is editor-in-chief, and thank goodness for that. No one is better prepared to take on this job than you. If you searched every corner and wrinkle of my brain with a flashlight, you would not find a single shadow of a doubt about your ability to succeed as editor-in-chief. It’s been one of my greatest privileges at The D.O. to have been your editor and have you follow in my footsteps.
You bring light wherever you go, and The D.O. is no exception. You’ve created not only a record of impactful stories, but also, you’ve already built a reputation as a strong editor and leader that you’ll only continue to develop. Trust yourself and the wisdom you’ve gained from your time here so far. You are ready for this.
Being editor-in-chief brings difficulties, but I know you’ll never shy away from them. You approach everything in life, whether small or daunting, with grace, kindness, intention, and thoughtfulness. You never make a decision without thinking it all the way through and choosing what you know is best. Your experience at The D.O. and who you are as a person will give you all the tools you need. I know it might not always feel like that, though, and know you can always call me when it feels like too much.
It isn’t easy to leave The D.O., but leaving it in your hands, I know it’s in the best place it could possibly be in.
I’ll miss living down the street from you and getting to walk to class with you, even in biting wind and feet of snow. I’ll miss our yap sessions at the NVRC. I’ll miss just about everything about you. I’m so proud of you, always.

Rose Boehm: It still baffles me that we went to middle school together, and then somehow wound up working together at The D.O. seven years later. You know I wasn’t a fan of your Common Council beat stories when you started out (sorry), but that couldn’t matter any less now. You’ve gone through the motions and proved yourself to be a wise, thoughtful, driven and creative journalist. You truly transformed the culture section this fall and created a lasting legacy for the section.
It’s clear you see the world in a different way than most because you can find so many meaningful story ideas in the parts of daily life that go largely unnoticed. You were made to be a journalist and tell these beautiful human stories that would otherwise go untold. Every experience you’ve had here will prepare you to take on whatever ME brings. I know you were made for this, and you don’t need me to tell you that. Continue doing weird sh*t, as your ME predecessor Kyle famously said. I missed you so much this semester. I’m rooting for your Halloween Guide next year. If you ever need a hot dog to fuel a late night, I’ll bring you one.

James Hoagland: Joining staff in the middle of a semester is never easy, but you embraced the challenge and have kept doing so ever since. You approach each task with the intention and space it deserves. I appreciate how thoughtful, caring, and communicative you were as Opinion Editor. The section thrived under you and will continue to do so. Thank you for sticking with the high standards Cooper and I set throughout all the ups and downs. Remember, each challenge you face as a leader at The D.O. makes you stronger. You’ll lead the digital section well. I’m excited for your future in journalism.

Griffin Uribe Brown: It’s one of the greatest tragedies of our time that we never got to work in house together. You’re clearly an immensely gifted writer and editor. You’ve already made your mark on The D.O. with your contributions across multiple sections, and I can’t wait to see what you do as the inaugural Social Media Editor.

Cassie Roshu: You’ve stood out to me since your first semester in house. What I told you way back when about your precious outlook on the world still rings true today. I’m so happy you were able to live your best life in Chile this semester and I hope you keep contributing your creativity to The D.O. next year. Your fun ideas and passions, from photo essays to Pitbull to karaoke, brought so much positive energy to the house. Thank you for diving into DME alongside Cooper and me for our first semester in management. Nothing beats the original Stoopie squad. Keep being you. I can’t wait to hang out in D.C. this summer.

Ahna Fleming: You are one of the best journalists who has ever graced The D.O. Your legacy in reporting and leadership has already set an example for the staff and will continue to be remembered long after you leave. I’m sad we never worked in house together, but I don’t need that to know how talented you are. Journalism needs people like you, and any publication you end up at is blessed to have you. The care, intention, compassion, and truth-telling that you prioritize in your stories is always evident. Your future is already unfolding in amazing ways.

Lucía Santoro-Vélez: The impact you’ve left at The D.O. this year is hard to quantify. I knew you would do so well as Presentation Director from the time you spent patiently working with me on news pages last fall, and I was so excited to start a friendship with you when we met in Bethesda over the summer. As soon as production started, I knew working with you would be a breeze. You brought so many brilliant ideas — even outside of your own responsibilities — and a tireless, selfless work ethic. You made my job and life easier.
Beyond design, you welcomed so many people to the house and made it a comfortable, fun environment to work in. You added so much to the paper by being yourself and approaching every day with mindfulness, thoughtfulness, and creativity. The authenticity, poise, and grace that you conduct yourself with is inspiring to me.
Thank you for looking out for me, cooking for me, and letting me rant to you time and time again. I don’t know what I would have done without you this year.
Thank goodness you live so close. I can’t wait for all our (likely food-related) adventures this summer back home.

Cole Ross: Coley. I’m so glad we met this year. About a month ago, when it began to hit me that I would be leaving The D.O., you were the first person that came to mind when I thought of everyone I would miss. Your presence in the house made it a better place — not only your talent and hard work on graphics, but your hilarious humor that added warmth to the entire house. Thank you for always being open to working with me on tricky details in news graphics and for helping me with my own VIS work.
You overflowed with genuine friendship everywhere you went this year. No one else has blossomed like you did on staff. You’ve been the life of the party, a respected leader, and a wonderful friend. I’ll miss you so much. Keep GLOwing.

Julia Boehning: You were my best staff writer when I was News Editor, and you’ve transformed into a strong leader and relentless reporter at The D.O. Working in news can feel thankless at times, but you never fail to tackle the not-pretty parts of the job because you know how important they are. I knew I could count on you to take advantage of opportunities, even challenging ones, because you know each one is a chance to become a better journalist and contribute something meaningful to the community. I’m so excited and grateful you’re coming back to build up enterprise work.

Duncan Green: What a guy. I remember Anish telling me I would love you back last spring when you started as a contributor. And I do. I hope you look back on your time as News Editor with a sense of pride and accomplishment — you deserve it. You did an incredible job. I always knew I could rely on you to take on challenging news assignments head-on with just the right attitude. The news section overcame a lot of challenges with you as its leader and it will only continue to get better. I know being News Editor brings a lot of stress and uncertainty, but I never doubted you. You’re a tenacious reporter and editor, and a gifted writer. Thank you for all you did this semester. Enjoy being abroad. Call me whenever.

Delia Rangel: The first assignment I gave you wasn’t an easy one, but you made it into something great. I’m proud I can brag that you started writing for news when I was News Editor. Since then, you’ve bloomed into such a strong reporter, writer, and editor. You amazed me with the excellent, courageous work you did on your enterprise projects this year. You have everything it takes to be a successful news editor. You probably don’t need my help, but you have an open offer if you ever do. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my esports ventures. You bring the boom. Five big ones, in fact.

News staff fall ‘24 and spring ‘25: It’s no secret that as a former News Editor, I edited the section with an extra close eye. I know I pushed you all, but know that it was because I trust each and every one of you and I know you have what it takes to succeed. I’m proud of the development I saw across the staff both semesters, and you should all be very proud of the work you’ve done and the stories you’ve told. I’m always here to help you.

Ben Butler: Your drive for The D.O. is honestly scary sometimes. When Cooper and I approached you about being Culture Editor, I knew you would do a good job, but I wasn’t expecting you to take on as much as you did and execute it so well. You brought a level of enthusiasm, creativity, determination, and unwavering dedication to your goals that I’ve never seen before. I was consistently impressed with the stories you found and the writing across the section — as well as the persistence you demonstrated in your own stories. One of my favorite pieces from the semester is yours on David Lynch. Keep pursuing journalism relentlessly,and don’t be too much of a Masshole. Let’s find Tony P together this summer and ask him everything we’ve ever wanted to know.

Justin Girshon: Thank you for letting me ride along on your trip to Boston that one time. I remember being pleasantly surprised to hear Phoebe Bridgers on your playlist (the rest of it was good too, though). You handled sports editor deftly this semester and you have an incredible future ahead. Your work ethic and commitment to the grind need to be studied. Best of luck with your internship this summer and senior year.

Zak Wolf: It’s too bad we never made a sports roadtrip work out. Working with you in the fall was a blast. Your determination in sports journalism is honorable and you have a lot to be proud of at The D.O. I’ll miss you and your dulcet tones.

Kaia Wirth: Thank you for stepping up and leading the Opinion Section with your sense of humor and sharp editorial eye. You built a strong foundation in the fall that helped the section reach new heights this year. Good luck with senior year.

Solange Jain: The grace and dedication you approached the role of Photo Editor with never went unnoticed. Thank you for all your hard work and for putting up with the selects meetings whenever they inevitably went off-topic and became unhinged this semester. I’m so grateful we had class together and that we spent our last assignment together before ducking. You’re such a talented photographer and I’ll miss working with you.

Lars Jendruschewitz: People talk about the excellence of German machines. Clearly, they’re talking about you. What a work ethic. You’re truly unmatched. Thank you for all you did for The D.O. as Photo Editor. You shaped the section and ran it deftly, on top of your demanding business classes and literally being an entrepreneur. Thank you for working with me on any ethical concerns I had, no matter how begrudgingly. It still blows my mind that you ended up as my Secret Santa two years in a row and that I somehow didn’t figure it out either year. You’re an incredible photographer, hardworking business leader, and a funny, sassy, thoughtful friend. I’ll miss you so much.

Joe Zhao: We did it, Joe. I was so relieved to have you in my VIS class this semester (shoutout Ike and Alex for making up the rest of our D.O. crew in class). I’ve been constantly amazed by your wide-ranging talents and outstanding dedication to The D.O. You make the most difficult assignments look easy. Working closely with you on the protest coverage last fall and the On the Fly story this fall was a privilege. You’re shockingly talented in everything you do.

Flynn Ledoux: You knocked every single one of the illustrations out of the park this year. I’m so grateful you took on the Illustration Editor role and were willing to work with me on last-minute edits so many times. You led such a strong illustration section and you’ve changed the section’s legacy for good. You’re wildly talented and you’re going to do amazing things.

Davis Hood: I can’t believe you’re ducking after so long at The D.O. All your work has helped our paper to exist and our staffers do the work they need to. I can’t thank you enough for that, especially for your work on the new website. You’ve built an outstanding record at The D.O. Do you need anything?

Roxanne Boychuk: Your presence in the house this semester was sorely missed. Not being able to walk around the corner to see you in the newsroom or pull you into management for a gossip session was bittersweet. Whether snacking on McDonalds or Taco Bell during a late print night, or catching up over a breakfast sandwich at Cafe Blue, every memory with you is a treasure. You have so much to be proud of from your time at The D.O. and I’m so excited to see what you do at your internship this summer. I’m so glad you were able to take a well-deserved break and explore Spain this year. Madrid will miss you, but I missed you more. See you on the Cape this summer.

Grace Katz: Thank you for being my off-campus cheerleader this year. I’m so grateful for all the times we’ve been able to see each other since you transferred, especially when you came up to visit Syracuse and come back to where you started. Our conversations always make me laugh so hard and break my EIC stress bubble. Gaming is forever. Thoughts?

Katie McClellan: There wasn’t a week that went by this year when I didn’t think of you and miss your presence in the house and on campus. Your sharp observations, your sense of humor, your gifted writing, your inherent sense for justice and good — I miss it all. The time we had together last fall was so important to me and I value every moment I get with you. I can’t wait until we can see each other in Chicago.

Kyle Chouinard & Anish Vasudevan: Thank you for trusting me with this job. I remember the moment I started thinking I wanted to be EIC last fall in my mid-semester review. You’ve never wavered in your support and guidance to me since. You two are the reason why taking this on felt natural, because you built the foundation that Cooper and I could work from. You’re still my two go-to mentors for any journalism questions I have. The house didn’t feel the same without you this year. Kyle, come back to the east coast so we can all hang out.

Mom, Dad, Lindsay, & Gillian: Guys, I’m done being Chiefanie! Thank you for your unwavering support of me all year and for always patiently listening to me drone on about The D.O. Nothing I have ever done or will ever do is possible without the love, kindness, patience and nurturing that you show me every day. I love you all so very much. I can’t wait to celebrate the end of my time at college with you soon!

—

Right now, leaving The D.O. feels like a loss. But really, I’m leaving with so much gain. I’m leaving with lifelong friendships and memories, and unparalleled experiences.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my time here. I send you all my love.

Goodnight, Daily Orange.

Published on May 7, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu