Lu: Hack reflects on the encouragement he received from The Daily Orange
Kevin Lu received encouragement from fellow Daily Orange writers when he joined as a sophomore. Courtesy of Kevin Lu
I never thought about joining an American on-campus newsroom as an international student with English as a second language — until I decided to step into this challenging zone.
The idea came from a bad time. The world was still grappling with COVID, and I faced rejection from Newhouse through an intra-university transfer before the 2022 summer. Due to its strict pandemic policy and extremely high flight prices, I couldn’t return to China.
While working as a Main Desk Assistant at Booth Hall, I played some pick-up basketball with other international students who stayed around campus for similar reasons, used a second-hand bike for grocery runs, prepared simple Cantonese meals and regularly FaceTimed my parents and friends to alleviate my homesickness.
This was just a portrayal of my summer life: living in a boring circuit with many negative emotions. A call from Anish Vasudevan, then the Sports Editor, broke the monotony of my days in Aspen Apartments and gave me a beacon of hope to make a change.
Prior to his call, I emailed The D.O. for writing opportunities, enriching my hope to be in Newhouse. As someone who enjoys writing diaries and sports commentary on my Chinese blog on WeChat, I dedicated most of my high school time to decorating my stories with beautiful metaphors and other rhetorical methods. I realized that while I have a passion for writing on various topics in my language, I never considered it a career path until I arrived at SU. I couldn’t envision what storytelling would be like in the English world.
From the other side of the phone, Vasudevan encouraged me to just go for it after hearing my weak and awkward concerns about my language barrier.
During our first meeting before my sophomore year, I quickly learned about the newsroom’s hierarchy and beat reporting, which meant starting as a contributing writer before being assigned a beat. When I sought advice from Roshan Fernandez, he told me to “always stick around with The D.O.” regardless of the circumstances. I followed his advice and attended every meeting during my first semester despite feeling lost amidst the beat writers’ discussions. I still remember finishing my first story and working with Vasudevan in the sports room, who helped refine my lengthy piece while Cole Bambini provided me with tips on interviewing and fact-checking.
The editorial process was challenging, yet I appreciated how they shared similar experiences when they started as a writer, which motivated me to continue writing. All I could do next is just learn, imitate and write more.
As I remained involved with The D.O., I eventually earned my first beat, track and field, a common starting point for many accomplished D.O. sports writers. I believe I made a good impression by writing four features on the beat in just one semester. As the semester wrapped up, Tyler Schiff approached me. Speaking Chinese, he encouraged me to apply for an in-house position for the next semester.
I hadn’t considered this before, as I was apprehensive about working in a fast-paced environment while using English as my second language, especially working with peers who had more coverage experience. However, I recalled speaking with Aiden Stepansky during an SU women’s soccer game, who reassured me it was OK to be a late bird.
Yes, it was okay to discover my true aspirations during that difficult summer.
I also cherished the moment when I covered Matt Orr’s story, finding out he was an SU alum who played one season for the men’s soccer team. I was skeptical he would agree to my interview request, especially as he was competing in the 2024 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. To my surprise, he responded after leading Hong Kong to the semifinals, resulting in what I consider to be my best D.O. story.
The feedback I received from editors reviewing my draft was overwhelmingly positive. I will never forget Schiff’s exciting message when he edited my story that night, saying it was (and still is) the best story I had written. I was in tears upon receiving such recognition from the person who raised me as a copy editor.
There are countless lessons I can take away from my time at The D.O., but I will always remember the encouragement from my colleagues that shaped who I am today. Being probably the first Chinese/Cantonese international student in the sports room made me feel special. In the past, I often doubted my ability due to my background and an unfamiliar work environment. However, reflecting on fellow D.O. members like Francis Tang, Alice Liu, Wendy Wang, Mengyao Wang, Joe Zhao and many others who have shared similar experiences and thrived, I grew confident and kept moving forward.
Today, I honorably leave my Hack here, a small page with my name in The D.O.’s extensive history. Though I still have a long way to shape myself as a good journalist, I would always appreciate the younger me three years ago who picked up the phone call. And I hope some folklore about me at The D.O. could encourage others with backgrounds like mine who want to express themselves through the school’s media platforms.
And, don’t be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone.
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Kevin Lu was a staff writer for The Daily Orange, where his column will no longer appear. He can be reached at jlu124@syr.edu | @kevlu0288.
