Behind the Desk

We want you to know exactly where your news is coming from, so behind the desk will be an inside look at what goes in the DT newsroom. Each week a different editor will give you the inside scoop on something they want our readers to know.

Confessions of a blogophobe


Though I’ve been editor for Blogs for months now, it is admittedly odd that I haven’t owned or written for a personal blog before. In fact, I have a fear of writing them. When discussing my phobia with my co-editor, Valerie, she put it best: “It’s so personal but so public at the same time.” […]

The “art” in Daily Trojan’s heart


Like any editor with their section, my co-editor Arya and I devote large chunks of time to the Lifestyle section of the Daily Trojan. We provide arts coverage throughout the campus and Los Angeles, including film, book, restaurant and album reviews, profiles of student and artists, as well as coverage of screening events, plays, exhibits […]

We can’t write, so we made these.


Sometimes, words just aren’t enough. As editors of the Daily Trojan‘s visual content, we’ve compiled an actual look behind our desk, reflecting our lifestyle and work as designers for the paper. The following snippets of text also reveal some unique characteristics that come with the quirkiness of a newspaper designer.   Samantha Lee is a junior majoring in […]

Beware: Redundancy weakens writing


How often have you heard a friend say something like, “I had an urgent meeting at 2 a.m. in the morning,” or “It was unexpectedly surprising when my sister gave birth to a pair of twins”? Here, what does 2 a.m. mean if not morning? What is a surprise if not unexpected? What are twins […]

War of the Words: Creative writing and news journalism


During my first semester as an editor at the Daily Trojan, I remember writing a last-minute feature for the news section in order to fill space. It was the first time I had ever written a feature. After I had finished it, my co-editor Sebastian read it over and asked me, “Jack, does being a […]

The perks of being opinionated


I haven’t done the math, but I’m almost positive that I’ve spent more time in the Daily Trojan newsroom than in my own apartment this week. I’m the editorial director of the Daily Trojan, which means that I manage the Opinion section — I assign pitches, write a column, edit stories, assign artwork and make the layout […]