A place with a whole lotta hope, heart and heroes
By Calvin Coffee, Opinion Editor
I came to UC Davis (almost) completely lost: no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, but I’m so lucky I found myself at The Aggie. I’ll never forget walking into the Lower Freeborn office for the first time. Once I completed the maze, the old couches and customizable walls of The Aggie (and all its people) became the most welcoming place on campus.
Having the last year-plus on Zoom isn’t ideal, but the people I had the opportunity to work with every day made it more than worth it. More often than not, what anchored me through the day was knowing that I had my desk meeting to look forward to that night or that four times a week I would just hop on a Zoom call with some friends disguised as an Editorial Board meeting. I’ve enjoyed laughing at the fantastic humor pitches as they rolled in and marveling at the creative ideas my writers came up with every week.
To everyone that’s been a humorist, columnist or cartoonist for the opinion desk this year, I cannot thank you enough for your dedication. Watching you grow as writers by tackling the issues and topics that matter to you has been a joy. Writing isn’t easy, it’s not for everyone, but those who are dedicated can produce stories for all to enjoy, and you all did that.
Taryn and Nick, thank you for hiring and believing in me, letting me write about video games and all the “Game of Thrones” talk during its wild final season. Hanadi, thank you for believing in me as a writer and editor, making editing sessions a joy and allowing me to go on about the most trivial NFL details.
The wonderful editors on our editorial board inspire me every day—you are the best team I’ve ever been a part of. Anjini, Margo, Sabrina, Eden, Sophie, Allie, Omar and Maddie, I will always cherish how welcoming and enjoyable you made our Ed Board meetings on days when I really needed it. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you, but more than that it has been (and continues to be) a pleasure to call you all my friends. I can’t wait to see you all on the courts—let’s keep up that trash talk.
I am endlessly grateful for all The Aggie has helped me through, I would be lost without it. This is one of the hardest goodbyes I’ve ever had to make, my time spent with you all is one I will remember forever. So if for some reason you’re reading this and thinking about joining The Aggie, please do—you just might find the place for you.
Written by: Calvin Coffee
Calvin Coffee was the 2020-2021 opinion editor. He joined The California Aggie in spring of 2019 and wrote as an opinion columnist before joining the Editorial Board. He is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in science and technology studies.
