This may come as a surprise to some, but I’m not the sentimental type.
I’ve always felt that emotional goodbyes should be saved for permanent ones, and not, “Goodbye for now.”
But I have to admit, I find myself a little sad.
I’m not sure why. I definitely won’t miss the pressed deadlines or the 1 a.m. flat checks. The perpetually late staff meetings or the constant argument of where to get food. So why do I still feel down?
Probably because of the people. The people who I worked with and came to know in my two years with the paper. Even someone as cynical as me finds it hard to say a single bad thing about any of them. There are good people writing in this newspaper. Good people that I hope go very far in this line of work.
Dylan Dixon: Thank you for hiring me even though I had no idea what I was doing when I was first starting out. Thanks for taking a chance on me with that men’s tennis beat. I don’t think I learned more from any single person more than I did from you in my first semester with you as my editor.
River Wells: Thanks for being easily the funniest person on staff. As I sit here writing this, I can’t think of a single interaction with you where it didn’t end with me laughing hysterically. Please keep adding that color of your personality into your writing, and please, for the love of God, stop being a Bucs fan before it’s too late. Trust me.
Brendan Farrell: Thanks for talking hockey with me and sharing my dark humor as well as our mutual Eric Clapton fanship. You’re a damn good writer who uses stats well, but please, just once, remember to include the game that literally just happened when talking about winning streaks.
Alanis Thames: Thanks for being one of my closest friends on staff. Our days of carpooling with you laughing at my life was fun… I guess… for you. Still a little mad that you left for Los Angeles even though the summer shift with us was clearly the more appealing choice, but whatever.
Tyler Nettuno: One of the best editors I’ve had. A natural leader and a super funny guy (Quote Bag King?). Thanks for letting me tag along for the football beat. Easily the most fun I’ve had since I got here, and I learned a ton.
Even when it was really hard, the people at The Alligator always made it better. For them, and everyone else at the paper, good luck. The Alligator helped me so much more than any class ever could, and I promise you it’s worth it. Just keep working.
I hope you all have incredible careers. When things get hard, just stay calm, don’t panic and remember that when it feels like the beginning of the end, it’s usually just the end of the beginning.
Thanks for all the memories. Goodbye for now.
Dylan Rudolph was a sports writer at The Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @Dyrudolph.
