It’s hard to put into words the toll that the past eight months have taken on Los Angeles, USC and the Daily Trojan. DT began 2025 with a roughly $80,000 budget cut. Word has increasingly spread of budget cuts across USC, and the Trump administration has taken unprecedented efforts to reshape both our city and colleges across the country. 

It’s hard to put into words, but the DMs we received, conversations we’ve had and countless Slack messages we’ve exchanged begin to paint a picture. It’s one of stress and uncertainty for many, but it’s also one of opportunity. That’s why, when the spring semester neared an end and it came time to submit editor applications for the following semester, one idea became crystal clear:

We need to make our community stronger.

It goes without saying, but the Daily Trojan has been a cherished space on campus for me and so many others. Through many highs and many, many lows, I’ve had the privilege to work with so many people who care deeply about what they do and are willing to work together until the dead of night to do it. Like so many others, I had no idea this paper would grow to fill almost every corner of my life — and my schedule — but I’m grateful for it.

I joined the news section of DT during my first semester at USC, but there was every indication that I wouldn’t stay long: I had to drop out of my first article, and my second never saw the light of day. New to campus and to L.A., I was consumed by a crippling fear that held me back from making friends or trying new things. 

My editors could have given up on me, but they didn’t — probably because I was still picking up assignments they needed, but I choose to believe it’s because they knew I could do better.

That feeling only grew in the next semester, when my editor pushed me to write more consistently and creatively as a beat writer covering local stories, and in the next semester, when another editor asked me to take a news editor’s place after she had to step down midsemester — and the following year, when I pivoted from print journalism to serve as digital managing editor.

Needless to say, it was a journey that relied as much on luck as it did skill, but what strikes me the most is the people who have poured so much into me and this paper, and what we have accomplished because of it. Awards are one thing — but real impact, whether to inform, entertain or hold power accountable, has been the most rewarding part.

What we do can definitely seem quaint: spending hours each night to publish a print newspaper in 2025, squeezing in edits during classes for a traditional news organization when trust in mass media is at its lowest point in decades. However, I believe two things can be true at once: As journalists, we have an enormous responsibility to live up to, made harder every day by our shortcomings as professionals and the destructive work of many who claim to be such; yet this doesn’t mean that the work doesn’t matter. When the time comes, it does. 

It’s been our mission since 1912 to strive toward fulfilling that responsibility. My number one priority this semester is to double down on that commitment. 

This means creating new opportunities for staff — newcomers and returners alike — to explore their passions, collaborate with peers and produce work they’re proud of. We’ll create new ways for staff and editors to meet and exchange ideas, pursuing more impactful coverage that can only arise from relationships we hadn’t previously imagined possible. I trust that doing so will bolster coverage for both our audience and the community at large.

We’ll also continue to emphasize what works at DT: bringing high-quality, personal mentorship from the top down so we can all execute at the highest level; developing our internal procedures and policies to promote accountability, transparency and safety; and making sure wellness is always top of mind.

Doubling down also means strengthening our relationships with those outside the newsroom. For the first time, at least in recent memory, we’re introducing an outreach director who will help us work with fellow student journalists and DT alumni.

We’ll also work with our outreach director to connect with high schoolers in our local South Central community, whether it’s through hosting free journalism workshops or creating opportunities to publish their work on our platforms. As temporary neighbors in this city, it’s critical that we resist separating our gated campus and resources from the people who share this space with us; as much as possible, what we do inside these gates must be done with, and for, those outside as well. 

Lastly, we will continue to work on improving our financial situation and ensuring we can not only survive but thrive in the future. Since last year, I’ve sat alongside fellow DT editors in numerous meetings, including several with Student Life representatives, to understand our current position and strategize. We’ve also been taking steps to modernize our advertising and fundraising strategies. 

All of this will continue. We are still far from where we were last year and where we want to be. We share this battle with countless other student papers across the country at a time when support from campus administrations is fading. But they won’t yield, and neither will we. 

As I’ve said plenty of times over Slack messages and emails, I’m still beyond excited to return to campus and begin another semester at DT. At its best, this paper has energized and uplifted me in more ways than I can fit in a single article, and we’ll work to make that the case for as many people as possible, whether they’re a part of our staff or not.

If you have too many thoughts on USC football and need to get them out, we are here for you. If you enjoy meeting people and sharing their stories, we are here for you. If you love photography but haven’t had much experience or material to shoot, we are here for you. If you’re a stickler for grammar and enjoy correcting people, we are here for you. If you feel like you haven’t found your community at USC yet, we are here for you.

And if you find yourself confused, curious or frustrated, we hope our coverage can help, even a little bit. We are here for you.