Op-Ed
Thank You for Reading
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My First Opinion
May 20, 2008 - 11:00pmFor the past four years, I’ve avoided putting my opinions into this newspaper as much as humanly possible. Since I have too many people to thank to fit into the allotted space, my first opinion has to be succinct.
I have always been proud of The Sun’s loyal readership on this campus. I only hope that the many people who read our newspaper several times a week for the past four (or more) years continue to take an interest in the news. Today we have the luxury of learning about events around the world as they happen, so please take the time to read the news in your post-Cornell life. Whether you work 100 hours a week next year in finance or slack off at your bartending job, you have received an excellent education. Don’t waste it. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be this well educated.
On that note, I’d like to apologize to every professor I’ve had in the past five semesters. Not doing homework, not being able to wake up for class and answering calls and text messages when I did make it there was not a testament to your teaching ability. As former Editor in Chief Jonny Lieberman ’08 once told a shocked room of Chinese college students, The Sun came first, my friends second and school third (or perhaps fourth or fifth).
To all my friends, thanks for not disowning me when I disappeared to The Sun for a week at a time. To the fun girl in my German class freshman year who I really wanted to be friends with, thank you for selflessly introducing me to your friends and, of course Lauren, for staying mine. To Peter, you survived the scariest experience of my life with me. And Stef, thanks for some of the best conversations I’ve ever had. And to Grant, you have introduced me to more new experiences than anyone else. I appreciate the moments of seriousness, drunkenness and other fun with all of you. Kevin, it’s been a great trip — whether we’re on the road or not. Travel or bust. And to John-David, Rebecca, Danya, Tania, Michael and Chance, thanks for four years of fun times, great memories and dance parties.
To Jonny for endless hours spent talking, texting and e-mailing each other. Last semester I saw you more than my roommate — or anyone else for that matter — and I can’t imagine anyone putting up with me better.
Olivia, thanks for a great couple of years working side-by-side, even though it wasn’t always on the same things. I don’t know how you, Julie, Vanessa and I ended up as an all-girl news editor group, but we made it a fantastic year. Julie, I wish we had been able to spend more time together this year, but I’m so glad for all the fun times we have had. Road trip again sometime?
Jess, thanks for tackling the biggest Senior Editor project any M.E. could have asked someone to do. Molly, I’ve said it many times but I think you’re one of the most talented writers I’ve had the pleasure of working with — even if I often had to cut off half your words. It’s been lonely in Ithaca without both of you this semester.
Nate, thanks for the fun times in and out of the office. Noah and Sarah, thanks for being crazy enough to want to take over The Sun. The six of us made a great team last year, and I’m so glad we got to work together.
To Jonny, Rebecc and Matt for going to China with me — a trip that made me view everything differently. Weiss, who knows what would have happened had you not convinced me to buy that phone. I hope China was the first of many ridiculous trips together. To Rebecca T., it’s still to bad you couldn’t make the trip but it’s been a great four years in and out of the office.
To Josh, I don’t think I would have made it through spring semester junior year without you. It’s been a roller coaster ride, and I can’t wait to see you at reunions in the future — with your press pass on, of course.
To Erica, Mike and Carlos, thanks for take such good care of The Sun for us and trusting we wouldn’t destroy it when we took over. Mike, I couldn’t have met a better friend and mentor at The Sun, and I hope we continue to ‘talk shop’ with strangers and big cookies.
To Chris Barnes, thanks for working harder than anyone else (except perhaps for the talented and diligent Mr. John Schroeder, without whom there would be no Daily Sun and, thus, no amount of thank yous suffice for). I was so lucky to have you, Mike W., Scott and Julie. Another thanks to Morisy for bringing the website in-house, which I could have never done.
To Sammy, Corey, Lance, Harrison, Mike Mix and Dave, thanks for (almost) always working hard and making the office more lively.
To ZZ, Carol and Marvin, thanks for all the fun times, design jokes and, of course, the snacks. People may think the paper just magically comes together, but we know how much work goes into designing it every night. Same to Emily and Claire, you were my two first friends at the office, and I’m glad that hasn’t changed.
To Julie B. and Munier, asking to be thanked defeats the point, but I appreciate your awesomeness anyway.
Thanks to the 122nd and 123rd editorial boards for taking all the big news stories to have happened since I’ve been on campus — and of course for training me and my fellow members of the 124th. Thanks to anyone on the 124th, 125th and 126th editorial boards that I haven’t been able to mention here individually. There will probably never be a work environment as fun and yet productive as The Sun office, so I hope you all enjoy(ed) it as much as I have.
Thanks to the Alumni Association for the great office, continued support and supporting our reporting endeavors in China.
Mom, Abba, Ben, Deb and Karyn, thanks for being so supportive. I love you all.
And to our loyal readers, thanks for making this all possible.
Rebecca Shoval is The Sun’s former managing editor. Rebecca, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, can be contacted at rashoval@gmail.com.