I came to The Daily Orange as a socially awkward, naive freshman with no idea of what I was getting myself into. Two semesters later, not much has really changed. As it turns out, though, spending a large chunk of my first year at 744 Ostrom Ave. was the best thing that could have happened to me. In the last year, I’ve learned so much about designing, writing and myself, and I met some really amazing people along the way. You guys are all superhumans, and if I had the chance to do it all over, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for everything.

Mom: You are the strongest, most selfless woman I know. If I’m ever half of that, I’ll have done something right. In the mean time, I hope I’m making you proud.

Jeff and Matt: I’m so lucky to have you two and Brian as brothers. Thanks for always looking out for me and going to bat for me, even when you didn’t have to.

Ankur: I learned so much from you as PD. Thanks for hiring me. Thanks for not firing me after my first night. I hope you didn’t end up regretting any of those last two things too much.

Lizzie: You’re an awesome PD. Also, we really should hang out more next year.

Becca, Beth, Cheryl and Marwa: There isn’t another group of designers I would have rather worked with. I learned a ton from all of you, and I had a really good time doing it. All of you are going to be fantastic at whatever you decide to do. Thanks for everything.

Allie: You saved my life a couple of times, so thanks. If I had to bet my entire D.O. salary on one BDJ major who will make it to ESPN one day, my money would be on you.

Chase: I wish I had a fraction of the talent that you, Sam and Luke have. I’ll talk photo, running, poor life choices, etc. with you any day.

Sports: You guys have a tough job, and you all do it really well. Also, thanks for keeping the women jokes to a minimum this semester.

CDB and Vandy: You and the rest of the feature staff help Pulp win the award for “Most Consistently Fun to Design” section. You two dealt with a ton of drama and really stepped up this year, and I have a ton of respect for that.

Mark and Laurence: I can’t even wrap my head around the amount of commitment it takes to do everything you guys do, and I really admire both of you for it. Thanks for letting me stick around, even after you realized how ridiculous of a person I actually am.

Jess: You’re kind of the rock of the news department. You taught me a lot about writing, and I really appreciate that. Live it up in London!

Nicki: I’m so happy you worked in house this semester. We may not see eye to eye on Ohio State sports, but I can let it go because we’re pretty much from the same area code.

Seegz: I have a ton of respect for how dedicated you are at your job. The D.O. is really lucky to have you around.

Meredith: Thanks for making me a better writer. Thanks for being an all-around awesome person and always making me smile. You’re going to be an amazing news editor. If you ever find yourself in the middle of a crisis, you’ve got my number.

Casey: You are going to be a great EIC and you’re going to lose a lot of sleep in the process. Always remember to never let yourself lose any more over anyone who can’t keep up with you, and you’ll go really far.

Carli: You are the better half of 493 and a saint for putting up with me. This year would have sucked without you.

Erin, Liv and Zimba: Thanks for being there and never letting me take myself too seriously.

DZB: No words. Thanks for keeping me sane. You two are the reasons for all of the best things that happened to me this year, but I know the best is still yet to come.

Published on April 30, 2013 at 6:55 am

Contact Michelle: mlsczpan@syr.edu