Everything is vibrant. The grass is green, the sun is setting, the air is warm. It’s golden hour on a summer evening in a quiet suburban neighborhood. I eye a glass of ice that sits on a table in front of me. Children run, laugh and scream as they enjoy their seasonal freedom. A wind […]
Category Archives: Opinion Columns
Blogging my way to securing the Quad’s place at the Daily Bruin -30-
“The Daily Bruin has a blog? I didn’t know!” I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that reaction, especially in my earlier years at The Bruin. It’s strange now when I hear of people reading my blog posts, sharing them widely and appreciating them for what they are – a distinctly modern addition […]
The importance of humanity in a digital age: allowing others to tell stories -30-
I’ve been in the Daily Bruin since my first year at UCLA, but I’m still not great with words. From the very beginning, I’ve made videos: I’ve always only been in charge of recording, shaping, documenting and interviewing people. I’ve always been able to let others speak into a lens and simply edit the material […]
My meta-column: A love-hate relationship with Opinion writing -30-
I hate writing for Opinion. Sometimes. Sometimes, the column-writing process directly contradicts things I’ve learned in college. During these years at UCLA, I’ve learned to complicate and question – how to seek nuance, listen to others and empathize with their perspectives, or challenge them where necessary. I always tell people that my major, human biology […]
Reconciling my father’s undocumented status with journalism -30-
I’m going to take your letter to Santa Claus, in the North Pole. It’s only a drive away from where I work, my dad told me one December morning. I was thrilled to be living in so close to Santa. Those times were beautiful – my dad would tell me about the Aurora Borealis he […]
Learning to be present and tell stories from behind the lens -30-
I came to UCLA as an eager transfer student prepared to take on the opportunities this institution has to offer. I wore hard work, determination and confidence as my armor – time, my greatest enemy. The two years I would spend here seemed like a countdown. And so I was on a race and everyday […]
The phone call that changed the course of my college career -30-
I may have single-handedly changed the trajectory of the Daily Bruin. You see, when I was an intern back in winter of 2014, I saved Julien Brundrett from being fired. On the second day of training, he wasn’t there and if he didn’t show up, he would be fired. So I called him. He had […]