This group of seniors that is leaving UConn and The Daily Campus had that impact on me. Included in this group are some of my greatest friends and my favorite co-workers. It is only right that they get the send-off they deserve. I’ll do my best to do that.
Every year I have been at The Daily Campus, we get to the end of the year and it never feels real. Maybe it’s just how college works, but seeing people you’ve grown used to being around suddenly disappear is jarring. Especially when they’ve had such an impact on you as a person.
I also extend my congratulations to all six people I’m about to talk about; college is hard, man.
Danny Barletta, outgoing Sports Editor
I have truly never seen another person take on so many jobs like Danny has in the past two years. Anything you can name in this business, Danny can do. He must be an organizational mastermind in order to get any sort of sleep. It’s remarkable.
Danny has covered every different sport imaginable at UConn. We spent many beats together, and I am really grateful for getting the chance to work alongside him.
Conner Gilson, outgoing Associate Sports Editor
There are few things more consistent than a Conner Gilson “The Packers Are Killing Me” column. Conner was once recruited by George Mason to play soccer after scoring two goals his senior year of high school, but he opted to go for UConn instead. I think that was a mighty fine choice.
Fast forward four years, Conner has accomplished pretty much all you can do at the DC. With Danny, he’s led the sports section to a Best Section award in probably the hardest year to do it to date. A year where half the UConn sports teams didn’t play and the staff was fairly thin in terms of numbers: They recruited hard and nailed it – kudos to them.
Personally, I’ll miss our Zonas, Subway runs and football tossing in the office the most. And our cake-making skills – even if I didn’t win a *single* game of pong that day. Conner has been one of the people that have made the DC the most special for me, I’m lucky to call him a friend.
Jorge Eckardt, Staff Writer
When I think of the sports section, the first name that comes to mind is Jorge Eckardt. He is one of the best writers I have seen in my time at the paper, regardless of section. He is among the hardest working and the most creative content creators I know, if not the best. There are few that care more about succeeding in this line of work than him.
I don’t know what I would have done in college if I hadn’t spent my nights getting yelled at by Jorge for wasting my money on packs in FIFA and The Show – both of which he is better at than me (except maybe hitting).
Seriously though, Jorge has become one of my closest friends in the past three years, and I am better off having him around. He calls me out when I need that extra kick and he has always supported me when I need it. He is the textbook definition of a great friend.
Ben Berg, Staff Writer
I first met Ben in Newswriting I my freshman year, and I don’t think I’ve met a funnier person since. When Ben reached out to me to start a podcast – the No Chips Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – last May, I knew it would be one of the most fun things I had going for me.
Ben also is one of the few rational New York sports fans out there – maybe even the only one. He can write a damn good story too.
Zacrab forever.
David Sandoval, Staff Writer
David is as knowledgeable about soccer as they come. Even though he doesn’t have much to be proud of as a Spurs fan, David has quite a bit to be proud of as a journalist. He has shown incredible dedication to covering Hartford Athletic.
Karthik Iyer, Campus Correspondent
Karthik joined this year to write about the NBA and instantly become one of the most analytical minds in the section. For someone who was only around for a year, he absolutely crushed it this year. He should be proud of his impact.
