Duck: Richard Perrins

Wow. After two and a half years and hundreds of production days, I can’t really believe I’m writing this, sitting on my balcony after running my last day of production.

This place has been my life for the past five semesters. There were times I hated it. Times I questioned whether I was meant to be doing what I was doing. But there were also amazing moments — some that I’ll treasure forever, some that have already been lost to my terrible memory.

I’ll miss it. There’s nothing in the world I would have rather done than be at 230 Euclid Ave.

Sorry to all those who should have been mentioned here, but weren’t. I’m looking forward to putting word counts behind me, at least for a little bit.

Anish: I knew you’d be back. The first time we actually met was when Mira and Maggie “kidnapped” us for our first D.O. party. My initial impression was a laid-back dude who could make friends with anyone, but I soon realized you have one of the biggest work ethics I’ve ever seen. We’ve become good friends since then. You’ll be a great editor-in-chief, and there was no one else I’d rather have succeeded me. I can’t wait for Thursday night FEEM appearances — I’m sure they’ll go nuts. I hope you know you don’t just have my support, but the support of hundreds of editors all desperate to help you. Just ask.

Kyle: I knew you’d be back (pt. 2). You’ve always been someone I can rely on, whether you were a fellow assistant, my right-hand man when I was news editor or a news editor yourself. I’ve never known someone so in tune with the politics of Amtrak or the day-to-day life of Eric Adams. But that curiosity makes you a great reporter, and will make you a great managing editor. You know I’m here to help in any way I can. But, please, sometimes don’t forget to take a step back from things and go bonkers.

Sophie Szydlik:I wish I got to know you a bit sooner than I did. You’re the right person to lead this paper digitally. Your ambition and ideas are what we need here, and I can’t wait to see the projects you put in place. But you still owe the house a new deck chair.

Rachel: When you first joined management, we didn’t talk that much. God, I’m happy that changed. I’m so glad I had you by my side this semester. You always provided a level head and clear thinking, especially in times where I was struggling and needed someone else to step up. Most importantly, you always reminded me to step back and gain some perspective, or clarity (get it?). Sorry for Hank and I overdoing the Batman voice, we couldn’t help it.

Hank:The walking movie encyclopedia. I don’t know how a single person can recall the exact plot and cinematography of every movie he’s ever seen, going back to film noir (what is that?). What I said in your staff goodbye at the last Sunday meeting still stands true — I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t respect you or love your personality, which is a huge testament to the impressions you set with people. Keep being yourself. Apart from supporting Arsenal — sadly, I think that’s an irredeemable quality.

Siron: My guy. You stepped up in a big way last fall, and I’ll always appreciate the level-headedness you brought to Maggie and my chaos. Let’s hang out at some point, preferably not at the D.O.

Tony: One of the only people who backs up my claim that Cleveland is truly the Paris of the Midwest. I miss you man. Coming in early to the house or staying way too late with you last spring kept me sane. Let’s please actually see each other next year, either in Syracuse or in The Land.

Abby Weiss: A-dubs! You’re a fantastic writer, editor and friend. I really hope I see you back in Syracuse soon, and I’m glad you got the recognition you deserved for your amazing story on Neilia Biden.

Casey Darnell: Thank you for your endless support and advice, and just for listening to me ramble over text or the phone about things you shouldn’t have to think about. You helped me through some tough decisions and situations, and I’ll always be grateful. I’m glad our relationship has developed past you driving a scared and confused freshman to his first coverage.

Emma Folts: I look up to you so much. You’re a D.O. legend in my eyes, both because of your talent as a writer and the compassion with which you always treated people. I hope we’ll connect soon.

Sessa: My first editor. You’re such a unique renaissance man. Nobody else has the instinct to find stories like you, or the drive to hike the Appalachian trail while applying to grad school. Your lessons and values stick with me strongly to this day. Thanks for coming back to Palooza in February. It was great to see you. Come back and make some more sarcastic jokes.

Chris Hipp: I’ll never let you live down the fact that you almost refused to hire me when I first applied in fall 2020. Despite that fact, you’ve become a good friend and someone I can always count on to talk to. You’re also a bloody brilliant writer. From the beginning, I always thought I’d try and emulate you, and I’ll probably continue doing so. Wherever you end up, you’ll kill it. And look for me at your first bout in the ring — I’ll be in your corner, Dax.

Francis: I’ve always admired your passion and work ethic. You were always the first to jump at a coverage or learn a way to improve. Can’t wait for another cocktail.

Sarah Alessandrini: Thank you for welcoming me into the news section when I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve loved working on stories with you, and randomly seeing you on campus every now and then. I’m enjoying seeing you find a new passion in music journalism — check in often when you make it big.

Mira Berenbaum: You helped me learn how to write my first story, something you’ll never let me forget. You are such a force, whether as a reporter, fundraising coordinator or friend. At some point I’ll learn which house is actually yours. Good luck with Deloitte, write something sometime.

Louis: You’re such a kind dude, and so easy to get along with. Thanks for letting me crash in your spare room for a night. I have to hit up your restaurant in Philly at some point.

KJ: I remember our brief conversations about Bayern Munich so well because they really were the start of us talking. Throughout my time here — ranging from careening through news on duck night my freshman year, when I had no idea who the f*** you were, to giving me countless pieces of advice — you have been a constant presence and source of inspiration. I hope you know how important you are for so many people working here, past and present. While I know I need to update you more often on my life, I love that you keep updating me on yours. Keep killing it.

Katie McInerney, Beth Fritzinger, Mark Cooper, Scott Bisang: Without the advocacy and support that you guys brought as members of the board, I would have struggled so much. You obviously care about the students, and I appreciated that so much. With all four of you, I loved talking about all the insane stories that happened with the D.O. in years past, many of them lost to time. I hope our relationship continues.

Mark Nash: You are so damn dedicated to this place, and you know as well as I do that the D.O. would struggle so much without you. The sheer amount of work you’ve devoted yourself towards in the past couple of years is inspiring. Thank you so much for being willing to help me through running this business, especially with the Great Printer Debacle of 2022. There will never be another Mark Nash.

Cole: I’ll see you at Lucy’s. I need to buy you a rum and coke to see what the fuss is about.

Connor Smith: You’re a man of few words in person, but as a writer you always manage to find the right ones. I look forward to seeing your byline in ESPN, the Athletic or some other big publication.

Adam McCaffery: Though I still don’t think you should’ve gone over to the dark side of SU Athletics, I always love seeing you around and reading your applications for DME (that I still think were sincere). Thanks for the vuvuzela Secret Santa gift.

Karoline: Is Oklahoma all that great? Thanks for being my friend and putting Kyle and I in our places when we needed it. I hope we’ll reconnect soon, and I know you’ll kill it in your role over there in Soonerville.

Richard Chang: My rival for the Richard name. Although you spawned the need for the Brichard nickname after people realized it would be confusing to have two Richards in news, you were always someone I could come to for advice or to talk to during your time in house. I’m glad you’re killing it where you belong at Forbes. Thanks for teaching me how to appreciate whiskey.

Rainu and Hamere: I hope you both understand the role you played in improving our opinion section, both in its goals and values but also by bringing in voices from the community. Both of you had the integrity and trust in your section to push back against decisions and you were often right. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to your section and the paper.

Tyler: Ty-ty. Why are you still in BDJ? You’re a funny guy, and I wish I made more of an effort to be friends with you when we were somehow both living in Lyons Hall at the same time. You’ll be a great sports editor. Just make sure to ask questions. Lean on Anish and all the other talented editors that have come through sports. I’ll buy a new shirt at some point.

Santiago and Morgan: You guys helped keep the D.O. running this year. Morgan — I’m so sorry you had to deal with trying to make a square paper look good. That was an incredibly difficult position to put you in, but you handled it with grace and somehow managed to make everything look amazing. I’m so grateful for that. Santiago — you are a tank. For someone with one of the most demanding schedules I’ve seen, you have the ability to pull things together at the last minute with incredible talent. Thanks for dealing with me, both of you.

Gaurav (Big G): I don’t know if I ever told you this, but you were the reason I first applied to The D.O.! If you remember, you were my Newhouse peer advisor my freshman year, and encouraged me to apply even when I thought I lacked experience. I guess it kinda worked out. I really hope we reconnect at some point in the future to talk about soccer or cricket.

Meghan: You’re right that there will be a personality void in the house when you leave. Somehow you’ve gotten through three semesters as photo editor, a real feat when two of them involved dealing with me. Thank you for your patience, and for being so easy to talk and laugh with.

Emily: Yours were hard shoes to fill. I hope you know the respect a lot of people in this house, and the university, have for you. I know you’ll be a force for good wherever you go after graduating.

Mandy: Another member of Team Ohio. It was always great seeing you on the train back to Cleveland. I wish you the best, and hope we can catch up at some point soon.

Jana: I’m grateful to you for stepping up and taking over news. It may have been difficult and stressful at times, but I hope you’ve made yourself proud with the work you’ve done. You should be.

Anthony Bailey: We gotta watch a soccer game together at some point. You stepped up so much and showed constant improvement throughout this semester. I hope you can kick back now.

Roshan: I admire you so much, both with your work ethic and friendship. Five stories in one night probably won’t — and shouldn’t — happen again. Good luck. I hope we see each other again soon.

Alumni: Hearing your stories and memories of your time at Palooza was a really special experience for me. Looking forward to connecting with and getting to know you all.

Headeds fall 2022: Thank you for dealing with me as I got my feet under me. You were a talented group of writers, editors, photographers and designers, and I was lucky to work with you.

Headeds spring 2023: As with the fall’s headeds, you all are immensely talented and dedicated. I hope you take good memories from this experience and enjoy a bit more free time.

News staff: I’ll always love news. Remember that you all have one of the most important jobs on campus — to inform the student body, uplift community voices and hold the powers that be accountable. That last one is so important. News is tough because you have the ability to enact real change on campus, but that’s always a burden. Know that you have that responsibility on your shoulders — make yourselves proud, but know your mental health comes first. And please, try and maintain the level of competition that news should always have — strive to make every one of your stories the best story the section’s ever put out.

Maggie: Remember when you guys would make me work in the kitchen when news had to work downstairs because of COVID? Remember when I was a freshman and you dragged Anish, Tony and I to some random apartment on South Campus? Two years later, I don’t think either of us expected getting along as well as we did when I roped you into coming back and working with me last spring. I stand by what I said at the end of the fall. There was nothing I looked forward to more than sitting six feet away from you every night. While you’re graduating, I know I’ll be able to rant to you whenever, and you know you can too.

Shane, Calvin, Casey, Paddy, Clark, Enrico and the rest: The lads. Sorry for coming to you with stories and rants about stuff I’m sure you don’t care about. But thank you for listening. You guys made my work worth it because I know I could come home at the end of the night and kick back with my best friends. I promise I’ll be around more now.

Mum, Dad, Anthony and Will: You guys were an endless supply of support. Whether you legitimately cared about what I was doing here or not, you sure acted like you were always beside me through my struggles and frustrations. That really meant a lot. Someday, I’ll pay you all back for the sacrifices you’ve made for me. I love you all, though I know I don’t say it nearly enough.

*

The D.O. has given me blessings I’ll never be able to repay. I’ll always love this place. But, now, it’s time to go.