THE CAVALIER Daily has been the defining experience of my time in college. I sat through a year of excruciatingly long Board of Visitors meetings, covered the arrest of the Living Wage protestors and culled through the minutiae of Honor Committee proceedings. I formed bonds with other staff members that are the product of shared experiences unique to the Cav Daily, such as sending the News page to the printer at four a.m., deliberately piecing together a delicate story or calling an advertiser to collect on a two-year-old invoice. Somewhere in between I found my place at the University of Virginia.
When I arrived as a transfer student I was overwhelmed, fearful that I would be a perpetual outsider. Many student organizations seemed to have a tryout, an interminable probationary period or operated in secret.
But not The Cavalier Daily -- I saw my first byline on the front page after just my second time writing. While I was intimidated by the knowledge, dedication and professionalism of my editors and the other writers, I could see there were opportunities available for anyone who was willing to chase a story. The environment was exciting. Soon I felt like a news entrepreneur, coming up with my own story ideas and exploring areas of interest to me.
Three years later, I have covered the administration beat, served as senior associate news editor and spent an entire year in the basement of Newcomb Hall as managing editor. As exciting as these roles were, my relationships with the people in The Cavalier Daily have been the most meaningful aspect of my participation. I have been particularly fortunate to spend the last year working with a managing board that has come to feel like a family.
I first met Kathleen shortly after I joined the News staff and recall being particularly struck by her intense focus. Since then she has become a loyal friend and I have come to appreciate her witty sense of humor and level-headedness in even the most stressful situations. It is a testament to Kathleen's many skills and tenacious work ethic that she went on to excel as both a news editor and chief financial officer.
I could not have picked a better person to share an office or pull Red Bull-induced all-nighters with than Jordan. He puts as much thought into issues of religion, gender and journalistic ethics as computer languages, server upkeep and page design. His wealth of technical knowledge and dedication will serve the paper well in his new role as ads manager.
The eloquent, distinct voice and well-reasoned logic of Herb's lead editorials were the public face of our managing board -- even if Herb occasionally forgot to proofread them before our MB meetings. Despite his lofty academic pursuits and intellectual nature, Herb is one of the most approachable people I have ever met. He has become a great friend and travel companion and while I will miss seeing him every day this semester, I have no doubt he will make an outstanding editor-in-chief.
Over the course of this year I have sent Mike over 1,000 emails and agonized over the content of hundreds of articles. I cannot think of anyone I would rather have worked so closely with. The finances and operations of The Cavalier Daily thrived under his leadership and the paper's content benefited from his relentless attention to detail. This year he has been forced to deal with unexpected crises, a role he performed admirably. He is a good friend and an invaluable fount of knowledge about issues ranging from politics and the law to baseball.
My duties as managing editor were exponentially lighter because of the skill, judgment and assertiveness of assistant managing editors Michelle and Elizabeth. Michelle put up with me even though I have yet to secure that celebrity interview and Elizabeth endured the insanity of election night as we scrambled to get five stories through the editing process in under an hour. Working with both of you was always a delight.
This year I am sure Elizabeth Mills's organization and cheery personality will keep uncollected invoices to a minimum as chief financial officer. It was worth it to cross the invisible wall between News and Opinion to talk to you every day. Dan, even though I come from News, I am excited to see you round out the Opinion section triumvirate on the managing board, and I know you will love your new position as executive editor.
Meggie, I have enjoyed working closely with you over the last three years. Whether we were editing your honor stories on Sunday nights or coming up with good puns, you have always been a bright spot in the office. You are off to a great start as operations manager and I cannot wait to see what you do with that role.
Caroline, as my successor at managing editor I am amazed at how quickly you have given the office a more thorough cleaning then it has had in years, put up a new white board and organized the many sections that report to you. Your staff will benefit from your attention to detail and find you to be a great listener. I'll miss working on the News section with you but will always remember the stressful interviews and late-night editing sessions where you held me together even as I was on the verge of delirium from lack of sleep.
This organization is comprised of the most talented group of people I have ever been a part of. It includes writers, editors, photographers, page designers, ads sales staff, comic artists and computer geeks. Nearly all of these people work without pay, receiving only the faint recognition of a reference in the staff box or an occasional byline. Still, all of these people come together to make this University a better place, bringing boundless energy and a detached skepticism, to produce a body of work that serves as a snapshot of daily life in our campus community.
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