I’m Jack.
Or at least I wish I was. You are a true example of a fearless leader. You have taken this paper to new heights in your short time as Editor-in-Chief and you should be proud of what you have done for this publication.
I have unique relationships, to say the least, with all of my fellow Oracle members, but both my working relationship and my friendship with you have made quite an impact on my two years here. We are both terrifyingly alike and starkly different.
We’ve come a long way, from you hating me upon my arrival to you “loving me like a dying dog.” At least Jackson loves me like a living dog. That’s so much nicer.
There was a moment in the middle of last semester when I realized how much I will miss you when you leave this paper, and you probably don’t even remember it. We were walking out of the office and you were making fun of me for something as per usual. Then you turned to go down the stairs and I continued walking toward the elevator and I said to you “don’t trip” and you went “wuh!”
Really dumb, definitely. But a few days before this, Jackson and you both said that you think of me as a little sister, and that was the moment that I realized I do have a very brother-sister relationship with you.
Our friendship is mad weird. We don’t necessarily say everything out loud, but I think we both have a pretty good idea of what’s going on in each other’s heads and it’s not often that we’re not on the same page and I would trust you with just about anything.
As much as I appreciate you, I respect you more. You are one of the most intelligent people I know and I feel privileged to call you my colleague. My conversations with you have played a huge role in stimulating my developing interest in politics and I feel that my friendship with you has made me a more intelligent person as well.
I wish I had more time to co-conspire with you. We, as a paper, have received more criticism and praise than any other semester I’ve been here and you were hugely instrumental in that. I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for letting us go outside the box a little bit this semester.
I appreciate your receptiveness to ideas that are not your own and I believe this quality will make you a great leader in all aspects of life. I am particularly grateful for you kind of giving me the reigns in redesigning our publication as it was a major goal for me in my time here and I certainly didn’t think I would be able to get people on board being only a sophomore.
I have really enjoyed being a part of not only your staff, but also your friend group and I appreciate that your house is a place where I always feel welcome… sometimes too welcome. Despite me embarrassing myself and the times I’ve face planted in your halls, weekends and random Tuesday nights with you guys, it will remain one of the highlights of my college career.
Thank you for everything from the living memes to the copy editing tips. I will miss you and I wish you every success that I am confident is coming your way. I am humbled to have you as my colleague, partner in crime, brother and friend.
Lastly, fuck Jack.
Yours Truly,
Rachael Purtell