In all honesty, I never meant to get very involved with the Daily Bruin. It was just supposed to be an outlet for my interest in photography, and nothing more. I definitely did not want to be Photo editor.
When my predecessor popped the question, I tried hard to say no, but her persistence wore me down and I took the job. I was trying to graduate on time which, for engineering students, means taking four classes each quarter. But as it turns out that’s impossible to do while editing for the Bruin. So, classes got dropped, and I was forced into a fifth year. A victory lap, if you will.
I don’t mean to sound regretful, though. I mean, yes, I stepped into a job that I really didn’t think I wanted and yes, I had to stay a fifth year at school, but regret is the last thing I feel.
DB Photo, as the photo department is affectionately known, and the Daily Bruin as a whole have provided me with many of my best college experiences.
As a photographer, I’ve traveled the country covering our basketball and football teams (too much Vegas, too much San Antonio), and I was on the sidelines when 13-9 happened. I covered the Taser protest last year, along with many other exciting marches and rallies. Under the guise of "Photo Dinners," I’ve had reliable access to the dining halls (which is amazing after having to eat my own cooking). I’ve learned to enjoy fliering (if you’re down to get down with the diggity, Daily Bruin). I am the champion of the DB Photo Chubby Bunny contest for the third year in a row now, and I will jump over your fire whenever I please.
DB Photo, that fun-loving, eclectic group, is a force to be reckoned with. It’s an eclectic group of people who all share a love and excitement for photography and journalism that, over the last few years, has grown into a tight-knit unit that functions like a family. A family that knows how to party hard.
It is going to be a big change for me next year when I travel east for graduate school. I am extremely grateful for the time I’ve spent with Photo, as both an editor and a photographer. The only regret that I have, really, is that I didn’t join the Daily Bruin earlier.
Photo love.
Hsieh was the Photo editor in 2006-2007.