People said they saw me as a journalist. I hate that I proved them right.

Applying to the Daily Bruin in winter 2024 required much encouragement from my friends. Yes, I was eager to involve myself somewhere on campus after completing my first quarter at UCLA, but I was also hesitant.

Transferring into the English major, I was adamant on avoiding the stereotypical career paths associated with my degree – teaching and journalism. I wanted to prove the versatility of my degree, but truthfully, I had no idea where to start.

Teaching has always been a no-go for me – I just don’t possess that patience. But journalism was unfamiliar territory to me. Still hesitant, I was open to having a completely new experience in something I had never tried, even if it would be just for one quarter.

I decided, “Why not?” as I submitted my intern application to the Copy section.

So imagine my surprise when I basically heard, “Why, yes” in return.

My intern and contributor quarters were exciting, but I was unsatisfied with my level of involvement. Though I was reluctant, being a wintern with what felt like so little experience, I knew I wanted to do more and become more involved in The Bruin.

I mean, if I was really committed to the exploring journalism bit, then I had to go all in.

And so I did it again. I asked myself, “Why not?” as I made my way into becoming a slot editor for my last year at UCLA.

My one year of editorship was more than I could have imagined. I was now carrying the mantle of “readers’ advocate.” Just as importantly, I was part of a team within Copy and in the larger organization – people to rely on and be relied on by.

Sure, it was sometimes exhausting to be hit with a full production board and have your day consumed with copy editing – regardless of whether the shift was morning or evening. Trying to fit B story headlines in print with no spaces or hyphens frustrated me to no end. And baseball innings pitched numbers will forever be lost on me.

But even with the workload, I felt privileged to be a part of the storymaking process.

I learned that copy editing wasn’t just catching grammar or spelling mistakes and fixing incorrect CQs. Copy editing is balancing the writer’s voice, even in the most neutral news story, with the reader’s questions and bridging them to ensure the writer says what needs to be said and the reader understands what needs to be understood.

I also experienced the writer’s side of the storymaking process through cross-training. I finally earned a PRIME byline on trauma-dumping after two quarters of dead-end brainstorming. But the writing section that really reeled me in was Arts. I was drawn to contributing for Arts, and I know the music and fine arts beat was tired to see me coming.

Writing concert reviews for Usher and Tinashe turned me into a concert fiend, and writing features connected me with students dedicated to their artistic crafts, whom I otherwise would’ve never met.

As a writer, I learned that stories can really come from anywhere.

Some of my best and most memorable pieces – my second takes against situationships and in defense of Beyoncé’s Album Of The Year win – were born from my endless rants to MFA editor Reid, who had the patience to listen and tell me they made great stories.

Entering editorship expanded my understanding of copy editing – and journalism as a whole. I never thought I would fall into the stereotype, but the professional opportunities The Bruin gave me have me seriously considering falling down the pipeline.

But more than anything, being an editor connected me with the most talented and dedicated group of people I have ever known. The community I gained from The Bruin is one I never expected but one I deeply cherish.

Two years is such a short time at UCLA. A year and a half at The Bruin is basically a millisecond. But the friendships and experiences I gained at the newspaper are ones that will fill my heart for a lifetime.

To Reid and Alicia, thank you for being my first friends and support systems at The Bruin. Your friendship and encouragement gave me assurance that my year here would be incredible.

To Nicole, Paco, Anna, B.T., Wendy, Jeannie, Bettina, Rori and Lucine, my one and only Copy family, thank you for sharing this slot editorship experience with me and trusting me to be a part of this team. This job is often underappreciated, but we recognize and support each other. I’m so proud of all of you. Maybe I’ll trust you with my X account soon.

To my fellow editors and staffers who are too great a number to name without hitting the word limit, thank you for sweetening my experience at the paper with your company and your laughs. I will forever carry the memories of retreats, hide-and-seek socials and one too many “Wall of Infamy” pagination records with me.

And to the Daily Bruin, thank you for breaking down my walls and helping me find my story.

Onaghise was a slot editor 2024-2025 and an Arts and PRIME contributor 2024-2025. She was also a Copy contributor in 2024.