Coming home. Moving on. Sailing away. These are common themes among graduating classes, especially those who have received their diplomas through Zoom screens or masked ceremonies.
At The Daily Californian, the class of 2022 has a lot to be proud of. Students have returned to the office for production, marking the end of a year of fully remote publication. Cubicles are filled with laughter, and chaos reigns once again. Editors are working on office computers and making snack runs to Menchie’s and the corner store — symbolic of a full circle and return to normal for those of us who were here before the pandemic. We saved the Daily Cal, securing funding for the organization we all love for another five years, and have continued to publish outstanding and beautiful content.
Although bittersweet, it’s our time to celebrate the end of this crazy journey. Come sail away with us, as we embark on new adventures and brighter beginnings.
— Jasper Kenzo Sundeen, Mallika Seshadri, Lisi Ludwig and Connor Lin
Alwayses
At the end of the day, the most important part of my life isn’t what I’ve done with it, but the people in it.
— Jasper Kenzo Sundeen
‘Almost dreamlike’: Farewell, for real
I learned when to be an ally and when to hold institutions accountable. I discovered I didn’t just have a place at the Daily Cal. I had friends here, too.
— Mallika Seshadri
The final draft
I’m writing for myself to keepsake the drafts of tales and relics I treasure. And I’m writing imbued with the spirit and currents of life that has come to pass.
— Lisi Ludwig
A love letter to the Daily Cal
I’m a combination of every creative director, design editor and Daily Cal staffer who came before me, from names I’ve only heard in passing all the way up to those with whom I’ve spent more nights than I can count huddled around the design desk.
— Connor Lin
Living fast, growing faster
More than anything, I’ve been lucky enough to learn how to live — and that I don’t have to do it alone.
— Saya Abney
Open waters
I’m crying on Sproul Plaza, and I don’t care who sees. I wasn’t supposed to end up at UC Berkeley.
— Emily Hom
Ditch the outline
Being someone so averse to change, I learned that adapting to the unexpected was good for me because it forced me to mature.
— Kabir Rao
Todo a su tiempo
The prospect of graduating early was honestly comedic as it seemed not at all likely and all so far away. And yet, here I am.
— Amber Soto
Silly spiral staircase
Looking back, I can think of hundreds of faster ways that could have led me to where I am today, but I regret none of it.
— Sunny Shen
In defense of “Cats” (2019)
I watched the movie “Cats” — as many of you did — on a winter’s day in 2019, and it changed my life.
— Lauren Sheehan-Clark
Launching into limbo: A reprise
I can’t help but feel as though the end of college is a rather abrupt dislocation from home, not unlike how leaving for UC Berkeley felt four years ago.
— Jericho Rajninger
Spread my legs and fly
LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND THOSE WHO OTHERWISE SPECIFY. MY MOTIVATION PLUG IS OUT OF TOWN SO HERE I AM FOR A WHOLE WEEK OF KINO FARR ORIGINAL MOTIVATION
— Kino Farr
I graduate for you
Julie, I graduate for you. You have learned some tough lessons. You have gone through nearly 22 years of life, death and sometimes some place between the two.
— Julie Madsen
Taking chances on me
I never did high school journalism — that was probably one of the most common facts I told people when I joined The Daily Californian news department.
— Tarunika Kapoor
A Golden Bear song
I realized what defined my undergrad experience was the support and encouragement at Berkeley that gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities.
— Hari Srinivasan
A love letter to the homemade food that kept me afloat at UC Berkeley
This may be the end of an era here at UC Berkeley, but you will definitely make a comeback elsewhere — I’ll make sure of that.
— Kristy Choung
Another story for the city
The streets of Berkeley are decorated with mysterious, witty stories. It’s difficult to say goodbye to this story-filled city.
— Maya Akkaraju
The end of the beginning
I can’t believe this is my first time publishing a personal piece. In fact, I’ve always found it weirdly uncomfortable to share my emotions — perhaps it is the intimacy that scares me.
— Winnie Lau
An honest reflection on my time at UC Berkeley
You want to do so many incredible things for the people around you, but don’t forget that you need to put yourself first too, that you matter.
— Gisselle Medina
Farewell Berkeley, hello real world
As soon as I arrived at Berkeley, I knew that I was making a statement by moving away from home to begin this new chapter of my life.
— Anthony Angel Pérez
My college experience as a recovering agoraphobic
While my college years may not be for everyone, that’s completely okay and encapsulates exactly what a college experience should be: personal and different for each individual.
— Rina Rossi
My time at Berkeley
— Simmone Stearn
