I applied to the Daily Texan in fall 2023, both as an escape from McCombs and as a way to be further involved with my time at UT. It was kind of like a coping mechanism to properly accept that I was 1,700 miles away from San Jose, California.
I genuinely thought I was going to leave after one semester, maybe two, if I felt really lucky.
And then D&I became A&B.
I realized the importance of being present within the Basement, beyond just checking the framing of incoming stories. I wanted to be someone who included others in the Basement. I wanted people to feel a part of such a strong community that I knew existed within the Basement.
To my peers, thank you for giving me the space and opportunity to be myself. Thank you for allowing me to bother you with incessant questions, thoughts and even random stories. Madison, I guess you did win the snipe war. Kennedy, I am so glad you enjoy Diet Coke that much. Isa, thank you for staying at the movie social for as long as you did.
Sascha, thank you for hiring me as a D&I contributor. I had zero idea of what I was doing, and if it weren’t for you quite literally taking me under your wing, I would not be in the Basement today.
Abigail and Rasmitha, thank you for being my A&B buddies. Abigail, you allowed me to feel confident about my presence in the Basement and encouraged me to explore beyond A&B. Rasmitha, thank you for being a friend, as we kept each other company for all of fall 2024. Let me know when you finally move back to Ion.
Aaron and Kylee, thank you for being incredible AMEs. Aaron, thank you for being such a kind soul, allowing me to literally camp at your house and arguing with me over “White Lotus”. Kylee, thank you for answering my barrage of Slack texts and for our casual conversations. I can’t wait to see what you both accomplish within the Texan.
Trisha, thank you for being my roommate this summer in New York! I am so happy to have met you this semester. We should set up a sign at our place that says “Bengalis welcome.”
Katie, thank you for taking a chance on me. Even if my 3.5-week AME stint did not work out, you still saw a place for me in the Basement. You are truly one of the most interesting people I have known, and I hope to continue to know you better. You are also the reason I was able to find such a community this semester, by still kindly keeping me in management. Thank you, I’ll see you in Brooklyn!
Athena, thank you for befriending me this semester. I feel like half of the reason I stayed beyond however long I meant to would be because of you. Thank you for making my place in the Basement feel like it mattered. Please come visit Trisha and me. We will be waiting!
To my mom, dad and sister, thank you for constantly hearing about whatever shenanigans I am up to. You guys just want me to be happy. Raka, thank you for reading my applications each time. Dekha hobe.
I have changed a lot since I first entered the Daily Texan. I would like to think I am a very different person now, with still a lot more to do. As cliche as it sounds — if there was a place for me, there would be a place for you.
