Cezary Podkul | A fond farewell

It's been more than two years since I picked up the DP and saw a poorly-worded piece about the classic "nice guys" vs. "jerks" debate.

"Geez, even I could do better," I thought.

And so I applied to be a DP columnist, despite not knowing anything about what its like to write for a newspaper. Two weeks later, I received a call from then-editor Eliot Sherman informing me that I'd been granted a column and so the "Cezary Salad" - a play on my name, the Polish version of "Caesar" - was born.

Over the years, as the name has morphed into "The Salad Strikes Back," I myself have changed.

But now, after four semesters and two summers of columnizing, it is time at last to say good-bye to my readers.

It's difficult to do precisely because I've enjoyed this job so much. I grew to love the long nights staying up late and putting off my assignments and studying just to write another piece. I enjoyed the countless e-mails I received - whether angry, congratulatory or just plain weird - that helped me become more critical of myself. And certainly not least, I enjoyed working at the DP with phenomenal people putting together a phenomenal paper.

(Phenomenal as it may be though, I yearn for the day when a rich DP alumnus will donate some money to us so that we can get new chairs and new computers, but I digress.)

For all of us in the editorial staff, there's simply no better feeling than knowing that, if you see something that's wrong, unjust or just plain stupid, you can write about it and let everyone know. Among my close friends, the phrase "I'll write a column about it!" has become a staple of our existence, as almost everything seems fair game for a column.

More than anything, I loved standing up for Penn students on issues near and dear to us all. One of my fondest "Salad" moments was calling University City Housing a "slumlord" for their mistreatment of students. Or comparing the Penn alcohol monitors to Aunt Patty and Selma from the Simpsons for their draconian enforcement of alcohol guidelines.

Even light-hearted trivialities - such as how Australian guys have better luck with their ladies not because of their sleek accents, but because of the "gary" - were a joy to write, since there's nothing better than watching a reader get a chuckle out of something you've written.

But no matter what each piece was about, it made me think differently about myself, this great university community and the world.

It bewilders me to think how such a seemingly accidental decision as writing a column has had such a profound impact on who I am and who I strive to be. Writing for the DP made me realize that writing and giving voice to ideas and people who would otherwise go unnoticed will always be a part of what I aspire to be.

And, even if that's not your credo, I would highly encourage everyone to apply for the seat that I am vacating - especially if there is something at Penn that you'd like to change or simply if, like me, you think you could do better if given the opportunity.

There is still so much at Penn that needs coverage and thoughtful commentary. Whether it be exposing corruption and wastefulness in city government, finding a way to cure Penn students of their self-esteem problems about attending Penn and not Wharton, or convincing Van Pelt library that Macs are inferior to PCs, there is much work to be done - and it can't wait.

And who knows, you might even find that it's not just your writing that changes others, but that your writing - and your readers - changes you.

Certainly, I have felt the power of that change.

And so, after four and a half years at Penn, I have nothing but gratitude for this community for helping me define who I am and for reading, thinking and reacting to my work.

Thank you all for expanding the boundaries of my thinking. I can only hope that I have done the same for you.

Cezary Podkul is a College and Wharton fifth-year senior from Franklin Park, Ill. His e-mail address is podkul@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Salad Strikes Back appears on Tuesdays.

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