Olivia Chiappelli, Editor-in-Chief
The Post has left me with many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Before my time as Editor-in-Chief, I led the arts section and had such creative freedom to write about basically whatever I wanted each week. From movie reviews, to concert reviews to pop culture commentary, I loved getting the chance to add my take to the public discourse. Another memory that I hold really close is whenI travelled to Pittsburgh with our Photo Editor — and my best friend — Katie Reid to watch OU beat Kentucky. I got to watch with some fellow Post alum, which was very special. But what I truly value the most is every Monday production day that I had the pleasure of being a part of. Opening up the office at 9 a.m. and watching people trickle in throughout the day to collaborate on articles, generate ideas, create designs and just hang around and laugh made my job feel complete. I wanted The Post’s office to feel like a safe place to land, and I hope that continues even after I leave!
Morgan Warneke, Content Editor
My favorite memories at the Post are the fun weekly meetings, covering new music releases, and of course, editing. I loved collaborating with so many other talented, creative people! My favorite article I’ve written was definitely when I covered Anna Shoemaker’s performance at The Magic Bag in Ferndale. Getting to interview her myself was really cool, and I hope to do more music journalism in the future. As far as my post-graduation plans, I will definitely be going into freelance writing and editing, but I hope to find a job somewhere in publishing. Thank you so much to our Editor-in-Chief, Olivia Chiappelli, for offering me this position — it has been an experience I’ll never forget.
Megan Judy, Managing Editor
My favorite memories at the Post are working with amazing people! I have met and got to work with so many talented and kind people and being Managing Editor has been so fun and such a great experience. I love designing the center spread each week and getting to be a part of the design team. My favorite design for the Post is the “America Through Our Lens” center spread for the January 31, 2024 issue. This is one of the first center spreads I made for the Post, and I designed it with my friend Barret! An honorable mention is the “More Three’s Please” center spread for the March 27, 2024 issue. My plan after graduation is to look for a full-time graphic design job in the Metro Detroit area and to take a much-needed break! Shout out to previous Managing Editor Megan Parker for giving me this opportunity and for believing in me to take on this role.
Noah Francis, Features Editor
My favorite Oakland Post memory is when I helped table for the Social at the Circle event at the
beginning of the fall 2024 semester, passing out popcorn on behalf of the Oakland Post, as well
as bonding with and getting to know my fellow editors, Adrian and Mallory. Although I am double majoring in Journalism and Public Relations, I plan on delving into my journalistic side and make my way into becoming an editor again, hopefully with a newspaper or magazine. Until then, I will continue to perform my odd jobs such as hosting bar trivia and working at the Michigan Renaissance Fair.
Kurt Szymanski, Sports Editor
One of my favorite memories from working at The Oakland Post was covering the Oakland men’s basketball run in March Madness with Brock Heilig. My favorite piece has to be the story I did after Oakland upset Kentucky in March Madness. Looking back on the article, I realize that it’s far from perfect, but I think I captured the crazy environment of the game pretty well. I hope that when people look back on Oakland’s run, they can read that article to relive all the excitement. After graduation, I plan to stick to my journalism and communication roots to pursue a job in the sports industry.
Katie Reid, Photo Editor
I have a couple favorite memories from working at The Post. One was from my freshman year when I was a distributor, and I got to do an Instagram takeover. It was oddly one of the funniest things I’ve gotten to do, and I had too much fun getting creative with the videos my friend (now Editor-in-Chief Olivia) and I got to post. My other favorite memory was getting the opportunity to go take photos at March Madness my junior year and getting to experience those two games live. I’ll never forget it. Some of my favorite photos have always been my sports photos, more specifically the ones from Men’s Basketball March Madness and this year’s Swim & Dive Horizon League Championships. My plans after graduation are to keep working in photography, hopefully in sports. I have a couple opportunities lined up and am excited to see where I end up!
Zachary Oberdier, Graphic Designer
Favorite memory: Collaborating with designers and creating super unique center spreads!
Favorite piece/design: The Take Root center spread!
Future plans: Work in the graphic design field!
