If you had told freshman me at Case Western Reserve University that one day, I’d have my face printed in a newspaper as a duck, I would’ve been very, very confused. But three years later, I’m so, so thankful that I’ve gotten to the point where my face as a duck in The Daily Orange feels natural. And it only feels right to thank the people that made my journey to this page as special as it’s been.

Schafer: We came in at almost the same time. It feels fitting to head out together, too. I’ve actually written every other blurb on here before this, because I couldn’t think of what to say. But then I realized what sets you apart is your ability to thrive in any situation. On Basketball Guide production day, things went a bit off the rails. I went and covered a high school football game in the middle of it. My story hadn’t been touched yet, and it was a Friday night, and I had to write my coverage, too. But you stayed at the house and worked with me to make my story better. That’s what you were always about: Making our work better. I know that wherever you end up, that ability will shine through.

McCleary: We’ve yelled at each other in that sports office more than once. But I’ve realized more and more as time went on that you just care so much about the work we do. I’m confident in your ability to lead our section, because I’ve seen up close and personal how much it matters to you. And when it gets stressful, play a game of catch. Just don’t hit anything or drop the ball down the stairs.

E.B.: Throwback to my first ever coverage, when we walked back from Drumlins to campus for who knows what dumb reason I came up with. That, and my NEW 205 profile of you, were the start of a great friendship. Keep doing great things, and maybe we’ll cover Giannis’ Hall of Fame induction together someday.

Kaci: I’ve got two pieces of advice. One: Don’t stop following your heart. It’s usually right. And two: Don’t ever forget how to make that wonderful dessert you call crack. And maybe let me know when you’re making it, so I can stop by and have some.

KJ: Yeah, I’ll say it: Your smile and laugh are infectious and light up every room you enter like few people I’ve ever met. Your interests are so vast and impressive, and I honestly have no idea if you’ll end up as David Falk or a famous music producer or just a writer who grinds his tail off. It doesn’t matter, because with your drive and your smile, you’ll be a stud wherever you go.

Graham: You kind of ruined this by ducking before me and getting to tell everyone we’re friends. And so I’ll leave you with this memory: We cover Syracuse women’s basketball in an early evening game, then we drive to your house. We stop multiple times along the way to post men’s basketball coverage in the midst of the WordPress doesn’t work fiasco. We arrive in Okemos at 4 a.m. We cover Syracuse field hockey’s loss the next day in Ann Arbor. We eat your mother’s amazing apple cake. We sleep. We drive back to Syracuse from Michigan for Sunday production. It’s been a fun ride, friend.

Charlie: Whenever we play pickup, you’re the tallest guy on the court and you want to shoot jumpers. But it’s that desire to be different that sets you apart. Don’t lose that.

Guti: I sometimes wonder how you seem to have a better sleep schedule than me even with all the reporting you do. But then I’ll sit there at 1 a.m., awake while you’re surely asleep, and I realize, “Guti probably called 10 people today,” and I realize that you’re showing the rest of us the reporters that we can be. Thanks for setting that example.

Liberman: You’re set up to be a star in this multimedia age we’ve entered. Hope you’ve got enough Gatorade to stay hydrated along the way.

Nick: My request: Get a driver’s’ license. But man, your lack of one made that trip to Greensboro and back one I’ll never forget. The next time you see a 29-5 scoring run, think of me!

Dabbundo: I don’t think I’ll ever let you forget getting a speeding ticket on the way BACK from covering JG3 in Burnt Hills. But I also won’t forget that you drove solo to Burnt Hills to cover him in the first place. Keep grinding, but obey the speed limit next time.

Emerman: You let me sleep on your coach some random night in Sharon, Mass., and you recently bought me an orange Mountain Dew at a random gas station in Northeast Ohio at 2 a.m. You’ve got the qualities to be a good journalist and a better person. Embrace them.

Storms: I’ve appreciated all our fantasy sports conversations in Ernie, and I appreciate more how you grind for The D.O. because you’re passionate about it, even if it’s not the career you pursue. Looking forward to seeing that orange suit in the Dome again soon.

Sports staff: You’ve got a lot of brilliant people at 744 to help you out, and I’m always here if you need me. Looking forward to seeing the big things y’all do going forward!

Schwed: I don’t think I’ll ever meet someone who cares about The D.O. as much as you. Thanks for pestering writers to do snowbeats my first semester; I don’t know if I would’ve stuck with it if not for those opportunities.

Tomer: I still miss our Tuesday/Thursday Ernie lunches. You were the sports editor, and I was covering tennis. Yet because you’re one of the best human beings I’ve met, that didn’t matter. I learned so much from those conversations and the inordinate amount of reads we did together that semester. And your leaving house allowed me to get my foot in the door. Thanks for everything, Tomer!

Sam: There were some nights when you probably had more important things to do, but you just spun your sports editor chair around and talked to me. For someone still finding my footing in this journalism thing, your time meant the world.

Chris: I was a scared sophomore making one of my first trips to The D.O. when you said you were from Spencerport. And from that point on, I was a little less scared. Thanks for helping me to feel safe in a new place.

Bloss: Hope someday my Kia Soul takes me to someone as cool as the bird loving, #BlossTourneyTalk enthusiast that is you.

Torrens: Thank you for being a friend when I needed it. Maybe someday I’ll get the haircut you always asked for.

Ali: I don’t think you’ll ever be in a negative work environment: Your laugh would brighten the mood, always. For what it’s worth, if The D.O. ever played a softball version of Media Cup, you’d be my starting pitcher.

Sam OG: Your passion for reporting blew me away. Now as EIC, your passion for The D.O. has blown me away, too. Don’t ever lose your passion for the things you care about. It makes you special.

Leffert: If I ever love someone half as much as you love JJ, that’d be enough for me. Thanks for laughing at all the under-my-breath jokes I tell during NEW 405, and for always holding down a booth in Food.com.

Kennedy: Our co-byline remains one of the cooler things I’ve done at this place, so thanks for that. You could’ve been annoyed that some “sports boy” was covering with you, but you embraced that. As you embark on your news editor journey, don’t forget that sometimes people can surprise you. Looking forward to see where News goes with you leading the way!

Noah: You probably won’t read this unless I send it to you, so let me go do that… Now that you’re here, thanks for being the most supportive random freshman roommate anyone could’ve asked for. I dropped a bombshell on you one night when I told you I’d be transferring. For my last two-plus months at CWRU, you made sure to make my time memorable, just as you had since I stepped foot on campus. Thank you, Noah.

Ryan: Sending this to you, too… Another random roommate, and another good one. Thanks for never getting mad when I get back to the apartment at times way past your bedtime. And thanks for always letting me rant about sports, or reporting, or both, even though I know you don’t really care that much. Your listening ear means a lot.

Annie: Your ability to consistently do everything and to do it all well never ceases to amaze me. You’ve taught me how to appreciate the little things and pursue passions. Looking forward to watching you throw out tons of runners this spring. I’m a proud big brother.

Mom: Thank you for never wavering when I decided to take my life on a 180-degree turn. From the moment you picked up the phone that night, you did everything you could to make it turn out OK. As I write this, I guess you can decide if my face as a duck was worth that effort. Love you.

Dad: When we went out to eat when I was little, I’d ask you to play sports trivia, and you’d pull out some knowledge and test me. You helped me fall in love with the numbers and history of sports. When you coached me in basketball, we’d go and eat at Subway before evening practices. You helped me fall in love with the finer points of the game. When we’d play catch or shoot hoops in our driveway, you always made sure I washed my hands when I went inside before dinner. You helped me fall in love with the fundamentals. Thank you for helping to create my love of sports.

Published on December 6, 2018 at 1:36 am

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3