What a wonderful year it’s been! I’m so grateful for it and saddened to leave.

I still remember interviewing for the Opinion assistant editor position and, somewhat embarrassingly, getting a little emotional afterward. As a writer, I had wanted the role for quite some time but waited until after my semester abroad to apply.

Now, after a semester as head editor of opinion, I’m left trying to account for how quickly the time passed.

As this semester progressed, more and more faces would sit and accompany Will, Addy and I in Opinion. I’ll miss our little spot by the window and each and every one of the lovely, talented journalists, writers, editors, designers and photographers who filled the house with energy and ideas.

I am truly a better journalist, writer, leader and collaborator because of The D.O. Frankly, it’s hard not to be when working alongside such driven people.

Will and Addy: When I hired you both, I had confidence you’d be great assistants. What I didn’t anticipate was how quickly you would become my close friends, and something steadier than that, a support system I came to rely on. I will be bothering you both after graduation, and I’ll miss you both dearly.

Addy: Addyson!!! You are endlessly talented, and I have lost count of the times I was buried in Slack, stressed, when you pulled me out of it with a story so funny I forgot what I was even so worried about. I will miss our print nights and our chaotic snack arrangements. I have no doubt you will do remarkable things.

William: William!!! You’re going to do amazing as head editor. I leave peacefully knowing Opinion is in good hands. The perspective you bring will carry the section forward. You know it well, and I’m certain you’ll do great things with it. Don’t, by any means, hesitate to call. I’m always happy to pitch an illo.

Dayna: You’re an incredible writer, and you’ve got a fellow assistant and head editor who are just as committed and talented. I hope you all have so much fun together. I’m so excited for you.

Cprice: My lovely SME. Charlotte, you’re so talented, so smart and so wonderful. You handle your job and life with such poise, and it’s evident in everything you do. I will never stop being impressed by you! I will miss our debriefs, and you’re obligated to keep in touch. Good luck with Alumni Engagement Editor, though it feels almost unnecessary to say, given how naturally you excel at everything you take on.

Brenne: You’re so incredibly intelligent, and I will always find myself wanting to run things by you. You’re an exceptional editor, reporter, journalist, leader and friend. Still holding out for a News and Opinion collab. I cherish your kindness, and I admire your steadiness. Constantly learning from you. Congrats EIC of Jerk, you’re going to keep doing extraordinary things.

Arabella: I loved all of your visits to Opinion, and I’m so excited for you to step into News editor! I know you’re going to do wonderfully. If you ever want a former Opinion editor’s Opinion, don’t hesitate to call.

Kendall, Rose, Griffin: Mgmt! Thank you for such an incredible semester. You led the newspaper with such grace (ha), and with so much care. Thank you for taking the time to learn and love Opinion and for reading our pieces with such close attention. I have loved collaborating with you all, and I will miss it.

Sam, Eliza: IT! Sam, thank you for the thoughtful touches you brought to Opinion, including the little box on the website, and for all our chats in op. I always looked forward to the times you were in, even if they were only once a week. Eliza, I’ll miss seeing your smiley face around the house!

Mauricio: You’re, admittedly, so fun to be around. I love your storytimes, and thank you for helping me with Excel. Your drive as a journalist, paired with your optimism, will take you so far. More than that, you move through every section with such attentiveness. The D.O. is lucky to have you. I’m so excited for you to work with new writers!! Your op headlines are certainly… succinct. I’m really honored to follow you on Spotify.

“Big O,” Owen Smith: I appreciate every attempt you made to get me a gluten-free cookie, even if success remained more theoretical than actual. It’s truly the thought that counts.

Opinion writers: Honestly, this has been the hardest one to write. I love your ideas and your willingness to push them further. Collaborating with you has made me a better writer, and I appreciate the care you all brought to every piece. While our work can sometimes provoke strong reactions, that tension is often the point. Opinion’s purpose, I think, is to pull readers out of comfortable observation and demand something from them: a reaction, a response. To engage with the world is, in some measure, to register its importance, to treat it as something that warrants attention, and, in that attention, to care. Thank you for such an incredible year and for always hopping back on the doc!

I am not quite sure how to leave something that has become inseparable from my growth, both as a journalist and as a person. So much change! Goodbyes are so hard! I’m so lucky! Goodnight, 230 Euclid, all from me.

Published on May 1, 2026 at 10:40 pm
Contact Grace: gjohns28@syr.edu