Position(s): 2021 Managing Video Editor, Fall 2020 Assistant Video Editor
Section(s): Video
Semesters at The Daily: 4
When I graduated from high school, I promised my journalism teacher that the first thing I would do in college was join The Michigan Daily. That didn’t happen. The newsroom intimidated me so much that for three semesters, I found so many different, stupid reasons to avoid it. It still scares me. Then again, rollercoasters and scary movies do too.
I was stubbornly committed to not writing a senior goodbye and just disappearing after this semester, but to do so without publishing my love letter The Daily felt wrong. So here I am: 24 hours after the deadline, scrambling to write my goodbye from my kitchen floor.
To The Michigan Daily Video section: I send two texts to my friends every Tuesday. The first is something along the lines of: “video meeting today, can’t wait to be done.” The second: “that wasn’t so bad. i love them.” Despite my endless complaints, each meeting reminds me of why I joined the section, why I stayed and why I happily spend an embarrassing amount of time agonizing over finding the perfect icebreaker. I am eternally and earnestly grateful to have met every single one of you and will so deeply miss our polarizing debates, silly banter and everything in between.
To Jordan and Margaret: Thank you two for all of the work you put in for us. We don’t express it enough, but thank you for hanging around, cracking jokes and writing some of the most electric hype texts that will ever exist.
To Claire and Brittany: Watching the two of you lead with grace and humility has been inspiring. If I were in your shoes, I honestly don’t think I could have done it. It has been an honor to work with you. Seriously. I hope you both win the lottery. Sorry I never did blurbs on time and would sometimes forget to come to story meetings.
To Jack: Straight up I don’t understand how you’ve dealt with me. Thank you for being patient and kind and cool. And also for showing me how to get onto my skateboard without looking like a dummy. I’m getting “Love, Jack” tattooed onto me somewhere.
Finally, to Iulia: You are a tank. I think that the reason I was so resistant to writing a senior goodbye was because I didn’t know if I could ever find the right words to express my gratitude and admiration for you. Thank you so much for everything, you are everything. Maybe next semester when we’re not spiraling we can hang out more. Maybe.
Ross, you’re not in The Daily but you deserve a thank you too. Thank you for being annoyingly positive when I’m grumpy. I’m lucky to have you as my loudest cheerleader. btw I think you are funny.
xoxo, Annika