Dave Levinthal ’00: Your labor, dedication and vision will live in the form of a Daily Orange that will remain vibrant and essential for years and years to come. I toast you with an old wingtip held high.

Tito Bottitta ’03: I remember the day we interviewed you, at the end of a long, dark winter for The D.O. The paper’s full-time professional staff was gone. A handful of students were left running all the business operations. And then you walked through the door, a breath of fresh air. We never could have imagined all you’d do for The D.O. over the next 13 years. You navigated the institution through a period of great change, providing unprecedented stability and endless ideas. Your passion for the paper somehow matched that of the students who publish it every single day. We’ll miss you, Pete.

Tiffany Lankes ’03: Never forget your first 🙂 EIC that is. You came in to instability, uncertainty and a lot of breaking news. You brought consistency, commitment and passion. From EIC to board member, it’s been a pleasure working with you and I appreciate all you have done to keep The D.O. going.

Justin Young ’05: To say Pete was important to The D.O. is to say Christ was important to the bible. Like Christ he will be missed dearly. Also, like Christ, he wears sandals. So long Waack and thanks for all the fish.

Elyse Andrews and Mike Swartz ’06: Thanks for everything you’ve done for The D.O., and us, over the years. We can’t imagine The D.O. without you and wish you the best on your next adventure.

Ryan Gainor ’06: You were such a big part of the amazing education The D.O. provides. One unique memory comes to mind. I will never forget riding around together to some of Syracuse’s less-reputable establishments, trying to collect fees they owed The D.O. I was honored you thought I was good backup. 

Matt Gelb ’09: Thank you, Pete, for teaching a decade of sportswriters where not to stay whenever they’re on the road. The lessons learned at a Budget Host Inn & Suites are unparalleled.

Melanie Hicken ’09: It takes a special kind of person to help a bunch of sleep-deprived college kids run an actual functioning business and newspaper. Thanks for all your years of hard work and patience Pete!

Andy McCullough ’09: Thank you for everything you’ve done for The Daily Orange. You were Atlas, and you never shrugged. You are the fucking man, even if I once mistook your dip can for a regular can of Coca Cola.

A.J. Chavar ’10: What can I say to someone who worked so hard keeping me sane when it seemed everything else in 744 was working against that? Your dedication to independent student press honorable. Know that you’re leaving having touched as many or more careers of young journalists as Newhouse has.

Brittney Davies ’10: Thank you so much for 13 years of dedication to The D.O. and for always keeping us on solid ground. Good luck in this next chapter, and hope you come across some Utica Club in Colorado.

Stephen Dockery ’10: Thank you for such a delicious baker’s dozen of service to The Daily Orange, Pete. So much institutional knowledge is leaving with you, I cringe for the EIC who doesn’t have Waack to paper over their 2 a.m. ad-placing mistakes.

Tyler Dunne ’10: Congratulations on the job. Thrilled for you. Always enjoyed talking Wisconsin sports, from Packers to Bucks, with you at the house. If you’re ever in Green Bay, I’ll have a Spotted Cow (or five) waiting for you. Thanks for everything!

Meredith Galante ’10: “We endured a lot together during my tenure as EIC, and I couldn’t have done it without your voice in my head of what’s right and wrong.” I wrote that four years ago in my duck and still mean it. Thank you for keeping a place that meant so much, to so many, afloat. I pity your successor, because the shoe will be harder to fill than the one EICs drink from.

Conor Orr ’10: I’ll always remember the wild Korean ski hostel you put us up in for the 2009 NCAA Tournament as well as the 24-hour trip to Notre Dame on two trains from Syracuse — I ended up having to dictate my sidebar and notes by phone amid a bunch of angry people from Tully just trying to sleep. I didn’t know it then, but you were just trying to prepare us to be journalists and expect the unexpected. In all seriousness, there was no one who cared more about us and provided a heart of gold during trying times like you. My hope is that someday Colorado will brew Utica Club just for you, my friend.

Eric Forman ’11: On the business side, you gave me real responsibility and confidence when I had no experience. And of course, taught me everything I know about getting “controversial” advertisers not just in the paper, but Parents Weekend with a bulk discount on top of it.

Andrew John ’11: This week I read an NYT column by David Brooks in which he writes about friendly people with a spirit of generosity and “depth of character,” and how rare that is to find these days. Pete, you have that. You are precisely the kind of person people want to work with. Enjoy Colorado. I know The D.O. will miss you.

Brett LoGiurato ’11: It’s amazing how much passion you have for everything you do — from furiously booking flights and hotels for football and basketball beat writers, to describing the sweet taste of your favorite cheap beer, Utica Club. And, of course, your passion for The Daily Orange is unmatched. Thanks for everything, Pete, and good luck!

Amrita Mainthia ’12: Thank you for embracing us all, from veterans to newbies, with open arms and an open mind. Thank you for your tireless service; whether 2 p.m. or 4 a.m. you were a true partner and driver of The D.O.’s success. I am so grateful for your compassion, expertise and dedication. Cheers!

Katie McInerney ’12: Through the tears, the laughs and the drinks (and there were plenty of each) you’ve been there for me and for every one of us who stepped through the entrance of 744, simply by being you. Thank you for keeping The D.O. alive. Thank you for waking me up when it was noon and I was sleeping on the management couch. Thank you for keeping the basement relatively dry, for making sure we always had enough Mountain Dew in the vending machine, and most importantly — for being someone I knew would always be there for me. I owe you so much, and I wish you the best of luck.

Tony Olivero ’12: Pete, the degree of dedication you’ve shown The Daily Orange has been remarkable. There’s no thank you us alumni could provide that’d do your allegiance justice. These walls and these hearts will miss you so much more than you know. We all love you. Thanks, my man. And Go Badgers!

Kathleen Ronayne ’12: I doubt there’s anything the kids in Colorado can put you through that you didn’t experience on Ostrom Avenue (with me and Katie surely to blame for some of it…) The D.O.’s loss is an entire new batch of student journalists’ gain. Thanks for everything.

Mark Cooper ’13: The editor in chief and general manager of The D.O. are partners in every way, every day. You, Pete, were the consummate partner for myself and 13 years of D.O. management. You pushed. You excited. You prodded. You inspired. You questioned. You praised. Thanks for the push I needed to let my imagination loose. Thanks for teaching me what commitment truly means. Thanks for your trust and support in our move to a new website and, maybe most of all, thanks for setting me up to spend Thanksgiving 2011 in the swanky digs of a NYC hostel.

Laurence Leveille ’13: You were always the first person I’d see when I went to the house in the middle of the day. The D.O. won’t be the same without you and your passion for the paper. You’ll be missed!

Dara McBride ’13: It was such an honor to celebrate a decade of you at The D.O. I’ll never forget the night you sauntered up to the house ringing a cowbell with your tailgating crew and complimented my sweet station wagon. Thanks again and good luck.

Becca McGovern ’13: It’s strange to think that a Daily Orange institution is leaving those halls. That generations to come will no longer be familiar with Pete Waackisms and Packer paraphernalia. But no matter where you go, I’ll always remember you — whether it’s in board meetings, MC-ing the best wing-eating contest on campus, or in the PUP food room holding a ridiculously large bottle of champagne — as a quintessential part of The D.O. I hope your new adventure is filled with lots of trout and even more happiness.

Stephen Bailey ’14: Thanks for all the support, always having an open door and that special present from your girlfriend’s dog. Also for putting the inaugural Beats & Eats on Mayfest/Battle weekend my senior year.

Mike Escalante ’14: Here are a few things I enjoy: your singing/radio jam sessions, wading through the flooded basement to the IT closet, your passion, learning from/with you, and your endless collection of great stories. Also, after four years, we never went disc golfing ONE time, guess now we have to do it out West.

Ankur Patankar ’14: Thanks for all these years, Pete. I’ve seen enough of your unparalleled passion in board meetings to know you’ll do great in Colorado. Just make sure they cover intramural sports.

Debbie Truong ’14: For a place that always feels like it’s in perpetual flux with so many changing faces year after year, thank you for being a constant, reliable presence at 744 Ostrom. Only a handful of staff members on each masthead had the chance to see your work at the paper up close but your efforts have made it possible for so many young people to find a place to thrive and become journalists, designers and editors. Thank you for that and best of luck to you!

Casey Fabris ’15: In a house that is always changing, you have been the constant. You guided me through my first board meeting and helped me find my keys in the management couch after I lost them on my last night of production as Editor in Chief. Thank you for being there, beginning to end.

Jacob Klinger ’15: Right after my parents left on move-in day and before I knew anything about how The Daily Orange worked, you welcomed a random wandering freshman into the house I had randomly wandered into. To me, you’ve been the man behind the curtain, er corner of your office, ever since.

Abby Legge ’15: Pete, since my first day as a timid little freshman, you were an awesome boss. But I still root for Nebraska kicking Wisconsin’s ass any day of the week 🙂 I wish you all the luck in Colorado!

Lara Sorokanich and Meredith Newman ’15: Throughout this crazy year you’ve always had the students’ backs. We can’t tell you how much we’ve appreciated your support and your advice. We’re so glad we got to work with you your last year at The D.O. You’re leaving it a much better place than you found it. Colorado is lucky to have you!

Mara Corbett ’17: You have kept The D.O running smoothly from behind the scenes for 13 years, and there isn’t a way we can thank you enough. I’m jealous of all the other editors who were able to work with you, but I wish you the best of luck in Colorado.

With congratulations and gratitude from Rob Howard ’05, Ethan Ramsey ’08, Colleen Bidwill ’14 and Dylan Segelbaum ’15. Special thanks to Emmett Baggett ’12 for the illustration.

Waack and roll.

Published on April 28, 2015 at 3:31 am