Gabrielle Abdelmessih, Editor-in-Chief

As with any organization, team or corporation, collaboration and a respectful exchange of ideas is essential for the success of that group.

I am so grateful for the honor that serving as the editor-in-chief of The Oakland Post has brought me. While, hopefully, my tenure at OU continues for years to come, I feel truly blessed for having had the opportunity and privilege to have worked alongside what I believe is one of the best Oakland Post newspaper staff rosters to date.

Because of my respect for and gratitude to my fellow graduating colleagues, I would like to dedicate this final letter from the editor of Volume 48 to the class of 2023. It has been a pleasure working alongside and learning from you all. I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors.

And while it is uncharacteristic of me to leave a page blank and allow others to write on it, that is exactly what I’m going to do. Before I do that, however, I’d like to take this opportunity to profusely thank Garry Gilbert and Don Ritenburgh, The Oakland Post advisors, for their mentorship and patience throughout this year.

Alright, cue the “Pomp and Circumstance…”

Emily Iatrou, Graphic Designer

It has been so much fun designing for the Post this past year! I loved challenging myself to come up with fun graphic ideas and ways to represent all the great stories.

It was also always awesome to come into the office and chat with everyone about their classes and projects they were working on for the week. I’m going to miss seeing everyone and designing for the Post!

D’Juanna Lester, Arts Reporter

It has been really fun getting the chance to work for the Post. I enjoyed that I got to write about what I want.

The best part is that I got to combine my love for reading and art with my passion for writing. I’m really going to miss doing my book reviews every week!

Leticia Santos, Marketing Director

I’ve always wanted to work on a publication, and working at the Post fulfilled a big part of that wish. Through this year and a half, I was amazed by the talents I met throughout the way!

It was fulfilling to see our weekly collaboration! I was always impressed by our thoughts and our ideas working together toward the same story!

Writing for the OP was a meaningful achievement for me. It nurtured a passion I didn’t know I had, and encouraged me to achieve more. Seeing my name in different stories still feels like a dream.

I’ll cherish with happiness what I lived and learned! I’m grateful I was part of The Oakland Post! Thank you for reading!

Isabella Limbert, SciTech Reporter

Writing for The Post has given me the opportunity to share my love of science with the Oakland University community. A goal of mine in life is to explain science on a level that all can understand — science is for everyone! I hope that I achieved that in my stories I wrote this year.

Seeing my name in print was definitely a perk and something I will miss. Not only did The Post give me an opportunity to show how science can shine, but it allowed me to sit in the spotlight for a bit, and for that I’m grateful. Thanks for reading!

Bella Javier, Arts Editor

My first and final year working for The Post has been an absolute pleasure. While I’m not a trained journalist, I’ve been very happy to be able to report about current issues in the arts in-and-outside campus and give student artists a platform to be heard.

I’m especially thankful to have worked alongside my fellow editors and my reporters, all of whom I learned a great deal from. My experiences with The Post have shaped me as a writer in the best possible ways, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Joe Zerilli, Campus Editor

Whether it be where I started writing feature articles about things to do during the winter, writing opinions and a weird array of movie reviews or what I’ve been doing this past school year of trying my best to get the most campus news stories out there, my time at The Post has been nothing short of spectacular. Preparing for my next chapter as I try to get ready for graduate school, The Post has made me feel more than ready that this is what I’m meant to be doing.

I want to shout out to all those who I’ve worked with this year for making it such a great year to be a student journalist. Seeing my name in each issue always brings me joy, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I was given. But I’m not done, so be sure to look for my name in many more publications to come.

Tori Coker, Content Editor

That pinch-me-moment of seeing your name in print for the first time really sticks with you. I have no doubt the fondness and appreciation I have for all of the extraordinary people I have met through this paper who I now cherish as longtime friends and mentors will stick with me far longer.

My college experience has been made so much sweeter with every late night editing session, every fascinating interview or event covered, every morning spent laughing with my colleagues as we produce our passion project. I arrived to this paper with a love for writing and a curiosity about the world — both of which burn brighter than ever now as I depart (this time with an enriched nerdy obsession with AP Style accuracy in tow…)

Sam Poudal, Distribution Director 

My experience working for The Oakland Post as distribution director has been a great. I enjoyed my walks every Wednesday morning around campus while I did my routes. It was really relaxing as I was able to enjoy the views as I did my route.

The distributors I worked with were very pleasant to have and made my time as a distributor even better. I felt my role was important, as I had to manage the papers all throughout the campus to make sure all the students and staff have access to the physical copy.

Working with the chief editors made my experience even better. I enjoyed working for the Post, and will definitely miss being here on campus.