North Texas Daily

As a journalist, I have always been taught to include the most important information at the top of a story, which is probably why it has been such a struggle to start this letter.

After nine semesters with the North Texas Daily, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint what has impacted me the most now that it’s time to say goodbye. All of the incredible friends and coworkers, everything I have learned and had the opportunity to teach, every byline, every mistake and every victory — I am honored to have experienced it all at this paper.

I have held six different roles during my three years with the Daily and have now written for every section.

From my first (poorly edited) Student Government Association photo published in 2020, to my local business coverage from last year and finally my award-winning photography from this year, the Daily has allowed me a place to practice until my best got better.

Although I will no longer be editor-in-chief, the Daily will continue to highlight the importance of student media by producing top-notch local coverage in tandem with training the next generation of journalists.

I am proud to say Ayden Runnels will be taking over as editor-in-chief. It is an honor to consider it part of my legacy to have encouraged them to first join the Daily, and I truly feel that there is no one else among us more suited to the role.

The Daily’s coverage this semester has truly impressed me every week, and everyone who attends our weekly Slash critique meetings can attest to this because I’ve said it at all of them.

From our news-breaking DEI coverage headed by Runnels or our delightful festival and SXSW coverage guided by arts and life editor Samantha Thornfelt, this editorial board has led the paper to success.

Our opinion editor Hana Musa absolutely shined in what was a first-time editorial board role for her. Her ability to teach others and guide the Daily’s editorials was incredible to get to watch.

Our sports editor team of Reed Smith and Jillian Nachtigal always held down the small but mighty sports section and continuously produced both in-depth features, game recaps and breaking news.

The visuals section will always hold a special place in my heart and visuals editor Maria Crane led it to perfection. Engaging others on top of producing great work and stepping up whenever necessary is a lot for one person to do, but after working with Crane across several semesters and organizations, I believe she can do anything.

Another key element of our visuals team is illustrations editor Jazmine Garcia. Garcia worked closely with her team to produce some of the most stunning graphics I have seen here (I’m sorry so many of them had to be last minute).

I also want to thank our copy editors, Melanie Hernandez, Rose Wright, Samantha Freeman and Hannah Burke, for staying late every Tuesday to ensure we have a paper to publish.

Hernandez always impresses with her newsworthiness and eye for detail. Wright somehow always made our photos look even better with her galleries while designing both arts and life and The Dose.

Freeman continuously improved the sports page with creative designs that so often formed my favorite pages in the paper. Burke joined the editorial board later than the others but immediately stepped up to do her job exceedingly well every week.

While I hope all 102 people in our Slack channel read the whole paper every week, I want to mention two people I know do — design editor Kelly Tran and managing and video editor Maddie Moore.

Tran’s incredible experience, design skills and calm nature made her an integral part of the team. Tran always works hard and is fast with a solution to any problem. With her graduation quickly approaching, the Daily will certainly feel her absence.

Moore has continuously played a foundational role in keeping the Daily running. As a trusted advisor, Moore has helped me through some of my toughest moments as editor-in-chief. Our mutual love for the paper allowed us to consistently engage in important conversations that pushed us and the Daily as a whole to improve.

I also want to thank our faculty advisor Randy Loftis for everything he does in the pursuit of helping students succeed and learn to be good journalists. I could not have made it through this semester without the kindness and wisdom he generously gives.

Finally, I want to thank the two most integral parts of the Daily. For one, thank you to our volunteer staff. This paper would not exist without their dedication and tireless work.

And thank you to you, the reader, none of this would be possible without your support. Thank you for giving us the chance to do what we love.

In the grand scheme of the Daily’s legacy, these three years I’ve spent will likely not always be remembered. But for a brief moment, getting to work with my friends to tell stories, we were the Daily and our time here will forever be an important part of my life.

Since I don’t graduate until the fall, you will still see my face around the office for a while longer, but I won’t be returning as an editor in the summer. Even so, I look forward to supporting the Daily like any other student and enjoying the work of those that come after me.

The paper is in good hands for the foreseeable future, and this staff’s mutual hard work and love has set it up for success. I am proud of the work I have done and will always continue to support the free press as a cornerstone of society, even if not from the inside.

Featured Image: Editor-in-Chief John Anderson poses in his office on May 2, 2023. Photo by John Anderson