The first time I stayed up until 3 a.m. for the Daily Bruin was before I even entered it.

It was the last day of the fall 2022 hiring cycle, and I had procrastinated on my application. Bleary-eyed and nearing delirium, I finally hit the submit button and crawled into bed, resolving to never go to sleep that late again.

If only I knew what was coming.

Now, two-and-a-half years, more than 500 approved articles and far too many 3 a.m. bedtimes later, I’ve come to view these late, late nights as a microcosm for my Daily Bruin tenure.

Sure, there have been lows – I’ve stayed up till 3 a.m. in the Daily Bruin office, impatiently waiting for the printer to give us the all-clear to go home. In spring 2024, 3 a.m. came and went as I copy edited The Bruin’s nonstop coverage of the Palestine solidarity encampment, watching helplessly through my laptop screen in my dark apartment bedroom as my co-workers experienced violence at the hands of pro-Israel aggressors.

But I’ve also had some of the deepest conversations of my life at 3 a.m., having heart-to-hearts with colleagues and friends in unlikely locations – apartments and Airbnbs, In-N-Out and Enzo’s Pizzeria. Some of the coolest Daily Bruin projects I’ve had the privilege of working on – a scathing review of “A Minecraft Movie,” a Tumblr-themed magazine spread, a deep dive into student Twitch streamers – reached completion at 3 a.m. or later.

The Daily Bruin may have ruined my sleep schedule, but I wouldn’t have stayed if I didn’t love the job. Even though the work of a copy editor often goes unrecognized, every misspelled name that I catch and insensitive phrase that I reword fills me with pride. That pride has carried me through every frustrating moment, missed deadline and potentially disastrous correction. The articles I’ve edited here may not bear my byline, but I’ve shaped them all the same.

Moreover, The Bruin has given me so much. I now know how to recognize a comma splice, how to navigate Adobe InDesign and how to summarize the soul of an article in 82 characters or less. I’ve grown as an advocate – for our readers, for my section and for myself – and as a leader. Every day at The Bruin has presented both a new challenge and a new lesson. I’ve changed immeasurably since joining this organization – and not just because I now have a mustache.

Now, I’ve read enough -30- columns to know that I should probably be listing names here – newfound best friends, respected mentors and the like. But, in truth, if I were to name every person who’s had a positive impact on my life throughout my tenure at The Bruin, this article would far exceed its word limit.

So instead, I’ll say this: I had a lonely freshman year at UCLA. When I joined The Bruin as a second-year, I hoped I would find a community I could call home – and that ended up coming true beyond my wildest dreams. My time at The Bruin has been shaped by everyone who’s ever played “Mario Party” or “Jackbox” on the office TV with me, swiped me into Epicuria at Ackerman, ridden home from print with me, wandered the streets of Westwood with me or listened to my ranting over Slack or in person.

To those who have shared those moments and a million others with me – you are the reason I’ve come back to The Bruin year after year, and you are the reason I’ll look back fondly at my time here years down the line.

To my fellow graduating seniors – I hope you keep me in your hearts (and perhaps your contacts) as you go on to achieve great things. Every year of our time at both UCLA and the Daily Bruin has been defined by extraordinary hardship, and we’re finally at the finish line. It’s been an honor, class of 2025.

To next year’s slot editors – the journey you’re about to embark on won’t always be easy, but I hope it’ll always be enriching. Copy editing is often a thankless job, so let me tell you right now that you are just as crucial to this paper as any reporter or photographer. From one slot editor to another, good luck. (To whichever one of you ends up slotting this, I hope this column is clean enough to make the Graduation Issue grind that little bit easier.)

And to everyone in Copy – working with all of you this year has been one of the biggest privileges of my life. Your tireless dedication to and unflinching belief in the work we do inspires me every single day. I hope I’ve done you proud.

Bacalski was co-Copy chief 2024-2025, a slot editor 2023-2024 and Copy contributor and staffer 2022-2023. He was also a Design staffer 2024-2025 and Arts, News and PRIME senior staff.