That’s all she wrote (not actually I’ve just always wanted to say that)

By KATIE DEBENEDETTI

At some point, someone has probably lied to you and told you that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. This definitely isn’t true. But I will admit, I have spent the last four years telling everyone I talk to that I would work for The Aggie for free. That probably is true. Because as cliché as it sounds, doing work that’s really a hobby, with coworkers who are more like friends, in a place that has come to feel like home, is pretty ideal. 

At my high school graduation, my mom gave me a piece of advice in the form of her favorite quote, which reads: “Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” And while I can’t say I agree with her use of the Oxford comma, I do wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of the message.

Over the past four years, I’ve fallen in love with The Aggie — its publication, its people, and, yes, its free parking spot (thank you A Street office). While I’m not sure this is exactly what the quote — or my mom — meant, I can say that my Aggie experience truly has decided everything. 

Through covering local events and stories, I’ve seen parts of Davis’s city and campus I never would have ventured to, like the STEM facilities and the ARC. On managing staff, I’ve met some of the best friends I could have asked for, like Sophie, my partner in crime, Anjini and Margo, the dynamic duo that set a great example for us, and two amazingly curious, funny and kind Editorial Boards. 

While sending Slack messages and Doodle Polls definitely does feel like work, spending upwards of five hours a week at Ed Board deciding what contexts we should use “where” in and whether “which” is a better-fitting transition never does. I feel so grateful for getting to serve on the Editorial Board for the past two years, and can honestly say that I don’t think there’s ever been a meeting I’ve dreaded going to or left feeling unhappy. And while I am certainly going to miss long days in the office, even when there’s no working light and the alarm system we don’t have is beeping every 10 seconds, I know that The Aggie is in very capable hands. 

I also know that even though I won’t get to write for The Aggie for much longer, I’ll stay in love with what it has given me long after I graduate. Let me explain. My favorite part of journalism is getting to hear and tell stories about what people love, what makes them tick so to speak. Whether it’s climate activism or tea, stand-up comedy or bike repairs, when someone is really passionate about a thing, it shows, and it allows the rest of us to understand that thing, and maybe more importantly, that person, in a different way. 

For a while, I think I thought about writing for The Aggie as the way I would find my thing. Like, one day, I would be writing a story and hear about an on-campus club or someone’s super niche major (like my amazing Freshman year roommate who literally studied global diseases during the whole pandemic) and decide, ‘here it is!’” But as time went on, no matter how much I enjoyed learning from my sources and listening to their stories, that moment never came.

I’m a bit embarrassed to say, it wasn’t until earlier this year when I took an introductory fiction writing class that I really realized that storytelling was that thing for me — and that I had said ‘this is it’ a looooong time ago. When I wandered down to the basement of Lower Freeborn on my first Friday of college ever, desperately looking for something to be a part of on a huge campus — and for the office where my interview was, because Lower Freeborn is a maze I’m still not sure I can navigate — I was asked to write a fake news story about the new prices of Unitrans bus fares. This probably sounds like the most boring assignment ever, but I loved it. 

Since then, I’ve gotten to tell some objectively more exciting stories — like those of teachers navigating online and hybrid learning during the pandemic, the all-female Friday crew at the Bike Barn and a group of researchers and study participants involved in a a first-of-its-kind male contraceptive trial — but  I’ll always remember writing about that $0.10 increase of the L line fare (which is thankfully entirely fictional by the way). 

I’m known for being long-winded, so I think it’s best if I end this column before it gets completely off course, but not before a few final thanks. Thank you, The Aggie, for all of the boring and exciting stories, the amazing friendships and all of the experiences along the way. Even though my time writing and editing these stories might be done, I always said I would do this work for free, so be careful Sonora, you might catch me lurking in Google Drive for years to come. 

Written by: Katie DeBenedetti 

Katie DeBenedetti is The California Aggie’s current managing editor. She joined The Aggie in September 2019 as a features staff writer and took on the role of assistant features editor in the spring of 2021. In June of 2021, she joined the Editorial Board as the features editor. She became the managing editor in June 2022. She is graduating with honors with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a double minor in environmental policy analysis and planning and professional writing.

A guide to the lessons my unexpected college journey taught me

By JADE BELL 

I couldn’t do it anymore. I stared at the screen full of computer science word problems in agony. This would be the third time I cried this week. I researched on forums; I spent hours being tutored. Nothing assuaged the pit in my stomach, never mind helped my GPA. I was stuck and tired of it.

That was during my junior year of college when I was declared as an astrophysics major. It was a time when many life lessons about what it means to listen to your gut became most clear — and I hope they can be of help to anyone reading this today.

So, here are a couple of lessons I’ve learned as a soon-to-be college grad:

It’s Never Too Late To Change Your Mind

I think it’s drilled into us as students to always get the “right” answer. Sure, this can be helpful and necessary in fields like mathematics or science, but even then, trial and error is a must. Having this way of thinking made me paralyzed and unsure of myself that I missed out on doing things I loved, like writing. I stayed in my STEM major for three years, but I could not ignore the call within.

I made the decision then to change my major to English to see what happened. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life so far. I was forced to reconnect with my younger self, a five-year-old me who enjoyed scribbling on her Winnie the Pooh notepad.

Not only did my grades improve dramatically, but my spirit did too. I felt so happy and passionate about my classes. I’ve learned a variety of interesting literary topics from studying the works of Stephen Sondheim to learning about the historical significance of common themes like the “marriage plot” in 19th-and-20th-century literature.

I was on a roll. In the summer before my fifth year of college, I took another leap of faith — I applied to be a staff writer for The California Aggie. I only had so much time left before my college career ended, so I decided it was time to jump in and keep going toward what made me feel excited. I went through the application and interview process, and I remember saying that just being able to explore my love for writing in some capacity would make me happy. I received an offer for the volunteer staff position that May, about a year ago today.

The Path Meant for You Is Not Without Its Challenges

I’ve learned that once you accept your path, certain expectations must be let go of. Changing from a physics major to an English major meant that it took me five years to graduate instead of four. I had to grieve the fact that I would no longer be graduating from my original class. 

In addition, since I was on academic probation for a couple of quarters, I could not officially declare a new major until my academic standing was up-to-par. So before making the official major switch, I had to take a chance and enroll in English courses and hope that I liked them. 

I’m grateful that my path took some unconventional turns because it helped me to appreciate the entirety of my college experience and learn some life lessons along the way. I have made many friends and connections who have helped support me in this process, along with my family members. It all turned out fine in the end.

For the Next Chapter…

I encourage all of you — freshmen and upperclassmen alike — to keep trying new things. Your perspective will continue to change and you’ll get a better idea of who you are and who you want to become. With that, I say goodbye and good luck!

From a fellow senior (now alum),

Jade Bell

Jade Bell is a staff writer for The California Aggie. She joined The Aggie in June 2022, as a volunteer staff writer, went on a brief hiatus to focus solely on academics, and returned to write as a staff writer on the campus news desk in March 2023. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Written by: Jade Bell

 La lengua no tiene hueso, pero corta lo más grueso

By DANIELA DULA MEJIA — features@theaggie.org

When I was younger, my mom would tell me cuentos (fairy tales) to help me fall asleep. My family is from Honduras in Central America, and my mom’s stories always centered around our homeland. 

It felt like I was being transported to another world when she told me her stories. I loved to hear them growing up because they made me feel connected to my culture and my family. 

When I transferred from community college to UC Davis in 2020, I did not expect that I would become a storyteller myself. In all honesty, I aspired to be a lawyer, a professional truth seeker, not a writer. 

During what I thought would be my last quarter at Davis, I took an American political thought class as part of my major coursework. I was also questioning what I wanted to do with my life after college and if law school was my path. In that class, we read works from historical figures all throughout American history, but most importantly, we read from contemporary author James Baldwin. 

Baldwin was a Black gay author from the civil rights era. He had this way of writing that transported me into his world and made me see things through his lens, just like my mom’s stories did when I was a kid. I was so inspired by his style of writing. 

Reading Baldwin’s work made me realize that writing was something I wanted to do. I didn’t know how I was going to start writing or even what I would write, but I decided that I was going to stay another year to figure it out. 

A year after taking that class, I am just starting to figure it out. Working at The California Aggie has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at Davis. I realize that I am not super great about keeping up with deadlines (sorry Levi for being chronically late), but with each article, I get a little bit better. I learned through a lot of trial and error the best and worst ways to do an interview. Most importantly, I was given an opportunity to do something that I love, which is storytelling. 

In many ways, journalism is a form of truth seeking. We have a moral obligation to report facts, but also to tell a story. 

My mom and James Baldwin might not have a lot in common, but they both inspired me to also take my readers on a literary journey. Just as they connected me to their worlds through their stories, I have had the honor to do the same for readers in Davis. 

The stories I have been able to report on have been life-changing experiences. I had the chance to meet civil rights activists like Bobby Seale and report on anti-fascism in Davis (in the face of actual fascists) and the mental health crisis occurring throughout the UC system.

While my time is coming to an end at UC Davis, I leave with a sense of fulfillment that I would not have otherwise had if I did not work at The Aggie. Thank you to the Davis community for your kindness and support these past years and for sharing your stories with me.

Daniela Dula Mejia joined the features desk as a staff writer in February 2023. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science — public service. 

Written by: Daniela Dula Mejia — features@theaggie.org 

My eyes have snapped the best photos

By KAYLA BRUCKMAN

Although I write countless essays as a sociology major, this column was embarrassingly hard to start. My time at The Aggie has consisted of 98% picture taking and about 2% caption writing. In other words, this is my small writing debut for The California Aggie! 

I remember back in 2019 as a freshman being told over and over that I needed to join The California Aggie because of my love for photojournalism. Well, instead I joined a sorority and got a tad busy — good busy though! Then COVID-19 hit and I felt especially lost and disassociated with my college. It was not until 2021, during my junior year, that I realized my time at Davis was not as gratifying as it could be. Although nothing could have prepared me or any of us for the terrible effect the pandemic had on undergraduate life, I realized I needed to be involved in Davis the same way I was during high school. 

At my high school, I thrived in yearbook throughout all four years. I began as a photographer, moved to photography director and then took on the role of Editor-in-Chief. My experience brought me closer to the students, faculty and campus as a whole. Davis is nevertheless an even bigger and more daunting university that I felt compelled to explore. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of taking pictures again and insert myself into corners of campus that I would never have stepped on.

The two years I spent at The California Aggie were everything and more. I met kind and brilliant peers who inspired me greatly. I got to lead a team of talented photographers whose pictures were so good I questioned my position sometimes. With all that said, The California Aggie patched the hole that I needed fixed in order to find true fulfillment in my college experience. 

I can now leave UC Davis knowing that I have left a small but gratifying mark on campus. As the photo director for The California Aggie, I realized that cameras can only capture so much. No matter how many phone and camera pictures I have, the memories and emotions will never fully be realized in the photos. In other words, I have learned to put my camera down at times, embrace the beauty away from the lens, and watch as the world unfolds around me. Life should not be lived by watching it solely through a camera lens. 

So my one word of advice is to go to that concert, fly to Hawaii and graduate from UC Davis, but only take a few special pictures or videos. Your eyes will be your best lens and capture the power of life, as well as true memories, so use them! As I enter the real world, I will carry myself high and embrace all the leadership skills and knowledge that The California Aggie and UC Davis have taught me. 

Kayla Bruckman is The California Aggie’s current photo director. She joined The Aggie in October 2021 as a photographer. The following year, she joined the managing staff as the photo director in June 2022. She is graduating with honors with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in human development.