Farewell to my favorite site in the world

How can I summarize three incredible years in just a few hundred words?

I decided to attend Northwestern because of the opportunities I’d be able to have while I pursued a degree in journalism. Since joining Inside NU, I’ve had the chance to cover games far and wide across the country — Sacramento, Chapel Hill, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and nearly the entire midwestern Big Ten, to name a few places. None of those experiences are possible without this amazing site.

I knew from about middle school on that I wanted to be a sports journalist. I wrote for the school paper through eighth grade, and due to a lack of any kind of journalism program at my high school, I did not do anything beyond that. Because of this, I had no clue of the type of community that came within journalists — specifically sports journalists — until I arrived at Northwestern.

Between Inside NU, WNUR Sports and NNN Sports, some of my best friends in college have come from the sports writing community. I’ve watched as we’ve all grown from doing anything to get reps or articles to now managing these same organizations and mentoring others who are looking to do the same. When I first applied to write for Inside NU in the summer of 2020, I could’ve never imagined the journey I’d undergo and the great times I’d have as a part of this site.

I’ve taken a lot of time to realize not just what this site means to me, but also to other people. In Sacramento during March Madness, I had the chance to meet so many people who told me they read Inside NU, people of all ages and from all across the country, both alums and fans alike. We talked about the teams, what it was like to cover as a journalist and be a student at the same time, and it made me realize just how much the site connects Northwestern and its fans together.

It’s been an incredible eight months as an Editor in Chief and an amazing three years since that kid from North Dakota decided to apply to write for Inside NU. This isn’t the end; in fact, it’s far from it. I’m sure I’ll write a story here and there and I plan on staying active running the Twitter as well, but I’m looking forward to my post-Northwestern life and seeing where this journey takes me. It’s been really cool to see both Bradley and Iggy develop as writers, editors and people, and I have full confidence that they’re going to do a great job leading the site for the next year with the help of Sophia, David, John and Ethan.

I want to shout out Bradley and Iggy especially, as none of what’s happened over the last year would’ve been possible without them. The three of us became Managing Editors at the same time in March 2022, and pretty soon, we all took on much bigger roles as a seven-person exec board effectively became a trio, leading to a very hectic few months. I’m hopeful that the future site management won’t ever experience a period of insanity like we did during basketball season, but the two of them were actually superhuman during that time and it very much helped me keep my head above water.

I also want to thank each of my former editors: Eli Karp, Lia Assimakopoulos, Dan Olinger, Mac Stone, Ben Chasen and Sarah Effress. Each of you took a chance on me, one way or another, and I can’t thank you each enough for helping me become the writer I am today.

My parents, Brent and Susie Dorsey, deserve a special shoutout as well. They read all my articles, from game coverage to in-depth film reviews to rants about football, and their support means the world to me. Thank you both so much for believing in me.

Lastly, thank you to everyone on this site who reads our articles, interacts with our tweets and makes this community so great. I’ll always enjoy reading through your comments and feedback (even the pointless arguments) and knowing that our work is read and appreciated by so many passionate fans out there. I’ll never forget ranking the top ten Northwestern football plays from 2020 as a freshman and “accidentally” putting Brandon Joseph’s one-handed interception in the Big Ten Championship as the third-best play of the year, then subsequently getting flamed in the comments. Oops!

I want you all to know that we appreciate every one of you, no matter if you’re a frequent article reader or occasionally see our tweets. Northwestern fans like you all are the reason we do what we do, and it’s awesome to be able to write for an incredible fanbase like this.

I hope you all have enjoyed the last few years as much as I have. Between two national championships, a Big Ten West title, a March Madness appearance for each basketball team, a trip to the Women’s College World Series and a plethora of memorable moments, it’s been an unbelievable time to be a Northwestern fan. I ask that you don’t take any of it for granted; we have the privilege of rooting for a university with top-tier academics that consistently performs at the highest level in many of its sports despite the recruiting and admissions challenges it faces. That’s a pretty cool thing to be proud of.

I also want you to know that it’s never too late to learn something new and become a fan. I had never watched a lacrosse game before 2021 and wasn’t all that interested in softball prior to last year, but after giving them the chance, they became my two favorite Northwestern sports to cover and root for. Northwestern fields so many teams that don’t get the attention they deserve, and if you put in the time and effort to just follow along, even if that means watching a game or two per season or reading a weekly recap article, you’ll find that once you start paying attention, you can’t take your eyes off them. Trust me, they’re worth it.

With that, I’m excited to take the next step forward in my life. This is a special site and a special community, and I’ll forever cherish every memory and every opportunity this site has given me. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. As always, Go ‘Cats.