When I arrived on campus in 2016 as a newspaper and online journalism major, I agreed with my parents that I had to join an on-campus media organization. Despite my brother Matt, who was a senior when I was freshman, writing over 700 articles and leading the sports section for The Daily Orange, my decision wasn’t obvious. I pondered all my options – CitrusTV, WAER, Z89 and The D.O. I didn’t rush it, and I spent my first semester in college settling in, trying to make friends and adjusting to my new life.

Come the second semester of my freshman year, I decided to join The D.O. sports section. My writing experience at the time was minimal and informal, and I truly did not know what I was getting myself into. That proved true when Tomer Langer, my first sports editor, assigned me my first story, a “feature” on a former SU football player that was forced to leave the team due to concussions and was now a star player on the club basketball team. When I went to the club team’s practice at the Women’s Building to interview him, his teammates and the coach, it was arguably the most nervous I had ever been. Even though my face was probably red and I stuttered through my questions, the interviews went well.

Then, I was told I had to go back for a second round of interviews. Oh dear, again? Next time, I was less nervous. I had done this before. My first story probably took a month-plus to report, write and edit, despite being probably 350 words. It was the only article I wrote as a freshman, and to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it. But when I saw that article in the newspaper, things changed. Seeing a story, with pictures and with my name in the byline, that was a huge sense of fulfillment. Not to mention, it was in the same paper as my brother’s final article for the section, one he poured his livelihood into for the last four years. That meant a lot to me and my family.

I didn’t know if I wanted to continue with The D.O. heading into my sophomore year, but early in summer 2017, the next sports editor, Sam Fortier, gave me little choice. He emailed me asking if I wanted to be on the volleyball beat. I thought, what on earth did this guy see in my one crap article that made him put me on a beat? Lack of numbers? Because my last name is Schneidman? Who knows, but I’m glad he did. No matter how much work I knew was coming my way, which, looking back, was not a lot, I could not reject his offer. I was, in my mind, all in.

In five semesters since, The D.O., specifically the sports section, has been a family to me. I know I never worked in-house. I could have been more committed. I never wrote that ground-breaking A1 that got crazy recognition. Most people not from the sports section probably had no idea who I was when I walked into 744 for a read. But my relationships with guys like Dabbundo, KJ, EB, (try not to get too upset about the order I listed you in) and more recently Emerman and Crane, as well as many others, started as being beat partners but quickly turned into true friendships. I credit The D.O. for helping me find who I now consider some of my closest friends.

Oh, and along the way, I gained a real passion for sports writing. Covering softball was awesome. Yes, the team went 10-0 in games I covered. *LaVar Ball voice* Neva’ lost. Women’s soccer was memorable for different reasons, right KJ? Anyone who knows me knows men’s soccer was my dream beat. And women’s basketball, I’ll never, ever forget Wednesday morning opps, Engstler’s buzzer-beater alongside Crane and 20-plus hours in the car to and from Greensboro with Danny.

So, in my final ever piece of writing for The D.O., I want to give my thanks. You’ve given me friends, memories and experiences that I’ll have with me for the rest of my life.

David Schneidman was a senior staff writer for The Daily Orange, where his column will no longer appear. He can be reached at ddschnei@syr.edu and on Twitter @ddschneidman.

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Published on April 25, 2020 at 11:53 pm