I joined the Daily Bruin my first year to meet boys.
And I did meet some. I also met some girls, some celebs and even a couple of men. They know who they are.
Before I joined, I was warned against the horrors of working for the Daily Bruin. I’d heard people describe the staff and the workload as “intense,” “insane” and “ultimately soul-crushing.” But after hearing all these bad things about it, all I could think was, how could it possibly be that bad? Boy writers are so cute.
Looking back, in some ways, it was that bad. And boy writers are only sometimes cute. But anyway.
I naturally applied to be an intern for the Sports section but grew tired of feigning interest in women’s water polo to get Bobby Gordon to like me, so I switched over to the Arts & Entertainment section. I worked my way up to film/TV editor, and my adeptness at scamming the hell out of Greenhouse increased tenfold.
I’ve loved the Daily Bruin for completely selfish reasons, and as this is a column, it seems only fitting to share some of those with you.
I’ll remember interviewing my favorite authors, musicians, filmmakers and comedians. I’ll remember getting a “what up” from Mark Wahlberg moments before Gael GarcÃa Bernal kissed me straight on the mouth (and by mouth I mean cheek in a polite Mexican greeting). I’ll somewhat remember our Coachella coverage and Will Weiss’ welcoming reception at Dodger Stadium. And I’ll fondly remember the slew of angry e-mails from John Wooden Center employees after one of my scathingly un-scathing columns. Aah, memories!
It would be disingenuous for me to say that I was looking forward to a bright future. (Damn you, preemptive nostalgia and crummy job market, for making me so whiny.) But I’m positive that my experiences at the Daily Bruin will help me in any field I pursue, whether it be in journalism or petty theft.
One thing I can say with conviction is that if you do something in order to meet boys, go ahead. If you’re lucky like I’ve been, you could end up being part of something far more amazing and inspiring than your scamming little self ever could have imagined.
So, thanks, DB. It’s been real. Now let us all hold hands and sing Vitamin C.
McReynolds was a reporter and columnist for A&E and prime for 2009-2010. She was also the
A&E film/TV editor in 2009.