“Why do you read so much?”

The answer has changed over my life, but the one I’ve chosen to stick with is, “There’s just so much to learn.”

Words aren’t only for storytelling or instruction. They challenge our perspectives and ultimately expand them.

Although a tumultuous relationship with writing during high school made me temporarily swear off journalism in college, a loss of identity propelled me to finally apply and join the Daily Bruin Arts and Entertainment section’s fall 2022 intern class.

From a column that may have angered a Disney Adult to a series exploring the real history behind George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire,” I was able to critically engage with storytelling in a way that hadn’t brought me such joy in years.

I especially loved speaking with student and alumni artists. Telling their stories made me realize the purpose I was looking for my freshman year: to shed light on the diverse perspectives on our campus.

My proclivity for human-interest features also drove me to write more about art I wasn’t as familiar with, such dance and film archival. Although working on these pieces wasn’t easy, I was blessed to broaden my definition of storytelling through what I loved most: writing.

The desire to learn more and a newfound purpose explains why I wanted to – and did – serve as lifestyle editor and managing editor, in my second and third years at The Bruin, respectively.

If I could write about all the ways working with The Bruin staff shaped my current philosophies, this column would be a dissertation. With that said, the most meaningful thing I learned? The importance of talking.

Alongside Arts, I contributed to PRIME, our quarterly magazine. I wrote my first story, which examined the impact of generative artificial intelligence on various writing industries, during the height of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Admittedly, it was one of the most difficult articles I’ve written. News surrounding AI and storytelling was constantly changing, so the PRIME editors and I met several times via Zoom to discuss the piece. Looking back, their encouragement and willingness to chat despite a time zone difference is what made me finish the story.

That experience shaped how I went about working with my peers during my two years of editorship. Of the three Arts beats, lifestyle covers the more unconventional art forms such as cooking and even bouquet making. I’ve met with writers up to three times during the drafting process so we could challenge our notions of storytelling together.

All leaders must have tough conversations, and I am no stranger to them.

I’ve backread some of our most sensitive stories this year and opted to chat in-person with editors if I had concerns. In these instances, we all grasped that no one was truly ill-intentioned, allowing us to build toward productive solutions. This wouldn’t have been the case if we stuck to Slack. No amount of slackmojis can match the power of eye contact.

That’s not to say every conversation I had with a staffer was business – far from it. My most cherished memories in The Bruin are the late night chats – in and out of the office – where work-related talk could spiral into 2016 Tumblr discourse.

As silly as it sounds, I believe the more lighthearted in-person interactions within the staff bring us together to understand our role as UCLA and Westwood’s record keeper just as much as the serious ones do.

I have overseen the production of hundreds of articles this year, and I’d like to think there’s something meaningful we can take away from all of them. The future of student journalism is uncertain, but the words we write, the images we capture and the art we create will always matter.

Several people outside of The Bruin have told me that the work we do is “not that deep.”

Ridiculous.

I suppose it “wasn’t that deep” when a colleague and I reflected upon our unease after we started referring to April 30 as April 30, 2024, because one year had passed since counter-protesters violently attacked the Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA.

I suppose it “wasn’t that deep” when I checked in with 64 editors and more than a dozen reporters during the January 2025 Los Angeles County fires as evacuation zones crept toward campus.

In the rush of trying to break the news for our readers, we often forget to truly process it, even though our coverage impacts us as well. It is during these times it is paramount that we talk to each other.

It is during these times it is paramount that we are there for each other.

I do not plan on continuing my education after graduating. Yet, even if I did, Kerckhoff 118 will remain the most influential classroom I’ve ever known. The lessons I learned – some from our most important coverage, some from an exchange of laughs in the office – will stick with me for the rest of my life.

To the Daily Bruin staff, I will never forget the conversations we’ve shared over the last three years. I hope you will continue to learn from one another as I have from you.

Chadive was managing editor, Arts senior staff and PRIME staff 2024-2025, lifestyle editor and PRIME contributor 2023-2024, and an Arts contributor, reporter and staff 2022-2023.