How I learned to take chances on things that I would have never expected to take me so far: The California Aggie being one of them
By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org
I remember the first leap I took when choosing to work for The California Aggie. It was the application portal and the essays. The vague idea that I wanted to be a part of Davis’ life and community on some deeper level was one reason I described in these essays.
Frankly, I was not fully convinced of everything I wrote in these essays (I’d be surprised if anybody was), but suffice to say, I am glad to have had these doubts silenced. If The Aggie has taught me anything, it would be that even the smallest stories could lead you down the most unexpectedly, unforgettable rabbit holes.
The process of writing an Aggie article really allows for this feeling of discovery. An article can begin from something as inconspicuous as a dead Facebook post or as spontaneous as a flyer on a wall that day. Even today, I feel this compulsive urge to skim the posters pasted on the windows of Davis businesses downtown. But as I have come to understand, the reporting and the interviews really allow somebody to explore the interpersonal stories and experiences that an eye-catching headline could never do justice to.
For the year I’ve been a writer for The Aggie, I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the most welcoming group of skaters in a ditch somewhere off to the side of Highway 80. I have had the opportunity to tour a state-of-the-art feline veterinary facility despite my cat allergies. It is not every day that one gets to sample a variety of artisanal honeys, but I was able to have the experience of tasting and rating honey alongside some of my close friends in Davis.
Most of all, in these moments and all of the moments I have had reporting and writing for this publication, I had the rare chance to get a snapshot into the lives of so many others whose lived stories still touch me deeply.
As my Aggie journey comes to an end, I know now that I have been truly humbled to have been a small part of so many different stories in Davis. And, I feel truly lucky to have taken a gamble on myself to do something like The Aggie, even if I, myself, did not really know what this journey would have in store for me.
Written By: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org
