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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Editor concludes semester with parting words

30COLUMN_JILL_FANNYTRANG
Fanny Trang

Daily Texan File Photo

Editor's note: A 30 column is a chance for departing permanent staff to say farewell and reflect on their time spent in The Daily Texan’s basement office. The term comes from the old typesetting mark (-30-) to denote the end of a line.

Upon entering college I thought I should be a broadcast journalism major. Then I realized a week into my freshman year that I missed having a pressing newspaper deadline looming over my head, and so I applied to the University Star.
The what?

The University Star is Texas State’s newspaper. Without the Star, I never would’ve made it to the Texan. Although my dream was to attend UT since my best friend Alexis and I decided we were both Longhorns in third grade, I followed my freshman brain and the three high school folks I no longer talk with to Texas State. I cried at Bobcat orientation — obviously it wasn’t meant to be — but was luckily chosen as a news reporter a few months later by an editor named Allen who would later become a close mentor, friend and reporter for The Associated Press.


I put in my time at the Star as a news and features writer and city beat reporter. After a few weeks I earned multiple front page stories and even had an entire front page to myself once. I was happy at the Star, but my burnt orange blood couldn’t take Texas State. Declining the chance to become a Star section editor, I walked fearlessly into the Texan newsroom last summer.

The Texan ran differently, but I wasn’t scared of the little try-out process necessary to become a Texan news reporter. I knew how to write, and looking back on things, I don’t know that I would’ve made it through those tryouts without learning what I did from those at the Star.

I think what Allen taught me most was how much effort a sincere journalist puts in and how to love the long nights in the newsroom and soak up the knowledge of those around me. I learned a lot, and while some use what they learn to get an edge on the competition, I wanted to use my knowledge to give back. I wanted to be to others what Allen had been for me, and so, despite only working for the Texan two semesters, I applied for the position of news editor this spring.

I earned each position that got me where I am now, and I hope that in my job as news editor this semester I was able to be that friend and teacher to others that I so valued in my first editor. Five fall classes and an LSAT prep course keep me from continuing my work here, but I know my reporter’s addiction will start twitching soon, and that same kind of cold turkey headache I get when I haven’t had my daily coffee will continue driving my reporting addiction as I serve as an election stringer for the AP this year.

Printed on Friday, May 4, 2012: Time to say goodbye: Jillian Bliss

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Editor concludes semester with parting words