I think anybody who invests enough time and effort into The D.O leaves their time in house with a few regrets. The story they didn’t write or didn’t write well enough, the stand-out source they never followed up with, or the important assignment they let slide because it was Friday night and you have two essays due at midnight and you can’t remember the last time you slept. 

I have a few regrets of my own, sure, but there’s one I still have the chance to make right, and it goes back to when I was News Editor. It’s this: I never told the people I worked with — Maggie, Sarah, Sessa, Abby, Madison, Mira and Marnie (yes, you were out of house but you were on staff in my heart) –– how proud I was of them. 

In one of the most chaotic semesters in this paper’s history, you all came through. You persevered through countless remote productions and last-minute A1 audibles, through campus tragedy and COVID-19 confusion. You pressed SU on how they were keeping students and the city safe during a pandemic, honored the lives of students and faculty who left us far too early, carefully covered an election like no other, did groundbreaking reporting on issues that strike at the heart of Syracuse and SU’s place in it, and sacrificed too many hours of your summer break to serve a student body constantly looking for answers.

There aren’t enough words to express how grateful and how honored I am to have been able to work with and be inspired by you all. You are destined for amazing things. There’s more for each of you below, but that needed to be said. 

Emily and Mandy: You both are bound to be a phenomenal management duo, and The D.O. will thrive under your direction. 

Kailey, Richard P., Hannah and Ashley: I only spent a semester with you all, but you impressed me in that short time. Best of luck in your future endeavors. 

Richard, Louis, Skyler: Love this head ed dream team. I look forward to seeing what you all do next semester.  

Shantel, Francis, Tawny, Kyle, Karoline, Lilli: I know some of you better than others (Francis, it’s about time you joined News) but I can already tell you’re all going to do amazing work. I’ll be watching for your bylines.

Anish: Flourish SZN never stops. I can’t wait to see what you do as Asst. Sports Editor and beyond. 

Anthony: I didn’t get to know you all that well, but Maggie tells me you’re cool. I’ll take her word for it. Best of luck, I know you’ll go far in sports.

Nabeeha, Shannon, and the design team: Thank you for bringing our print stories to life with your outstanding designs and for putting up with our last-minute, poorly worded illo requests. You are all extremely talented.

The D.O. Podcast crew: Come for the podcast drafts, stay for the 3 a.m. memes. You all are amazingly talented people who did so much for that section, and it was great getting to work with you.

Cori: Thanks for keeping KJ humble. Somebody needed to do it.

Crane and Roshan: You both made a mark on Sports and led the section through a challenging year. I miss the news/sports hangouts on South last semester, here’s to more of those down the line. 

Casey: Nobody cares about The D.O. more than you, and it shows. You pushed me to be a better writer and editor, and your leadership carried this paper through tough times.

Madison: You were a life-saver as copy editor last semester, and it was a shame we never got to have you in the house. I never made it clear enough over Slack but you are amazing at what you do. 

Abby: You’re going to kill it as DME, and I’m so glad News was able to steal you for a semester. I’m looking forward to more Howie Hawkins coverage in 2022. 

Mira: I enjoyed biquoring with you over copy last semester, and you did a phenomenal job as assistant news editor. The house will be lacking something without your personality and your humor. We’re all still waiting on that A6 though. 

Gabe: You’re the reason I joined The D.O. to begin with, and I’ll always owe you for that. Crazy to think it’s been two years since you took me to that first SA meeting. Thanks for all the reads in 744. It’s going to be fun watching where you go from here. 

Emma: From the first SA coverage read at 744 to the floor of Crouse-Hinds to late nights in News, you have been my mentor and my advocate. I’ve had the privilege to work under you both as a News Editor and ME, and it was your ability to remain calm, focused and decisive under immense pressure that steered The D.O. through some of its most trying times.  

Monica: Thanks for putting up with us during all those late nights on South. Remote production was much better thanks to you. The pasta was top tier.

KJ: Your guidance, your support and your honesty have been a lifeline for me ever since I arrived at The D.O. Even though I objected to some of your tweet edits, I’m going to miss your humor, your presence in the house, the weekend coffee runs and the late nights on your porch post-production. You taught me more than you could ever know. Thank you for being a great mentor and an even better friend. 

Sessa: Where do I even begin? You embodied The D.O. at its best, always pushing the needle forward in your reporting and your editing. You’ve led two sections in house and improved both of them during your time in charge, and everybody who has worked with you is better for it. You are truly iconic in every sense of the word. Now go spend some time lost in the woods — you’ve more than earned it.

Marnie: You are — and I can’t stress this enough — the best writer I know, and one hell of a podcast host, too. Every story you write is damn near perfection, and I’m truly in awe of the valuable reporting you’ve done. I can’t wait to see you back on campus next fall. Alpha Chai Tea/Frog Gang for life. 

Sarah: A friend who will drive across state lines to bring you Wawa is a friend for life. Thank you for all the jokes, the unforgettable quotes, the late-night Crouse-Hinds coverage, the South Campus hangouts and the water tower trips. You’re a great writer, editor and friend, and I can’t wait to see what the next two years hold. You don’t give yourself near enough credit for all the amazing stories you’ve written, and your insurmountable work ethic will take you far. That said, Philly slander forever.

Maggie: In that moment you first walked into 010 Eggers Hall, I couldn’t begin to imagine what the next two years would hold. I didn’t have the slightest clue that you’d become — among other things — my confidant, supporter, co-conspirator, gossip source, ski instructor, music-taste critic, digital-booth companion, South Campus guide, late-night text convo go-to and, above all, one of the best friends I’ve ever had. You’ve talked me off of more than one ledge over the past two years, and I can only hope I’ve been there for you half as much as you’ve been there for me. You are a phenomenal reporter and the way you care so deeply about the people and topics you cover has always been an inspiration. Here’s to everything we’ve been through so far and everything that’s left for us. 

Alena: I always seem to run out of words when I try to think of what to say to you, but thank you for being there. Through all the late nights, through all the stressed-out FaceTime calls, through all the long months apart and through all the difficult days. I can’t wait to have a great summer with you.

Mom and Dad: I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Whether it was pursuing journalism as a career or attending Syracuse University, you’ve always supported my dreams, no matter how unlikely they might seem. The lessons you taught me about compassion, about commitment, about sacrifice and about loyalty have guided everything I’ve done as a writer and will guide everything I do moving forward. I hope I’ve made you proud.

Published on May 13, 2021 at 4:10 am

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu