Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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30: Guy in Photo never intended to be, but no regrets

ZOE_9071
Zoe Fu

I don’t really think anyone understands how intimidated and embarrassed I felt walking into The Daily Texan basement for the first time. Seeing everyone joyously talking to people around them with me sort of hovering in between everyone trying to figure out why I decided to attend an info session.

A friend convinced me to join the Science & Technology department. I like science and it was a new department that needed writers, so why the hell not?

Someone pointed me over to a small corner desk oddly stacked up against a pillar with this very worn mosquito net draped over, but nobody was there. I was handed a paper thinking it was for this department, wrote my name down and gave it back to Rachel who turned out to be the photo editor.


As I turned around, Ellen from S&T was standing there also handing out a sign-up sheet. I realized I signed up for the wrong department, signed the newly presented sheet and rushed out of that dark, roaring basement.

I was too awkward to find the words explaining that I had not intended to apply for photo, so I stayed in both.

Some stories about dinosaurs sounding more like cooing chickens were written and some portraits of people and campus events were taken. After that semester, I realized that I am a terrible writer and that I absolutely love photography.

Jump forward a few months and now I find myself only shooting photography, capturing photos of future NFL players and living amongst the photo pits and red carpets of some big and some not-so-big artists. Radiohead? Never heard of ’em.

Thanks for getting me into those shows, Josh. Taking me on as a senior last fall really upped my confidence in myself as a photographer. 

Rachel and Ellen, thanks for hiring me that first semester. Without you two, I never would have started my Texan career and realized how much cool science there is on campus and how much I love photography.

Daulton, you made last semester a breeze. I always looked forward to editing with you because of how easy you made everything.

Zoe, when you, Daulton and I started hanging out, photo changed in my eyes. I finally felt like being there was more than just a job at the newspaper. I felt like I delivered for Favor with all the times I took you and Josh and Angel to get tacos.

To my old Science & Tech editor and current managing editor, Eva: Thanks for this past year. You really made it something special in more ways than you will ever know.

And to the rest of y’all, thanks for making my time at The Daily Texan feel like home.  I’ve made a lifelong home and friends, and I really don’t know where I’ll nap in the middle of the day now.

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30: Guy in Photo never intended to be, but no regrets