Derek Wong | Don’t be afraid to take up space

Let’s get this out of the way. I am not your traditional journalist.

As a neuroscience major and a double minor in psychology and chemistry, The Daily Pennsylvanian seemed like the last place a person like me would be. How do I explain to curious people why I would devote hours, days, and weekends to a club that, on paper, doesn’t correlate to neuroscience? I sometimes lack the immediate words to justify to people why I have to go take photos of Joe Biden down Walnut Street, take a trip down to Washington to attend a congressional hearing, or even attend a myriad of Penn athletic events when my future isn’t in journalism.

Being here at Penn, we are all conditioned to commit to something early on, whether it be that summer internship or that super competitive club that will look great on our resumes. We’re supposed to come to college as the fully realized versions of ourselves, or, at the very least, the best self we’ve put forward from our college applications. I’ve come to realize that this bizarre expectation to commit so early robs us of the opportunity to explore, diversify, and challenge ourselves. These challenges aren’t the ones we publicize on our LinkedIn feeds or post on our stories on Instagram.

When I came to Penn and joined the DP, I was a bright-eyed but quiet first year. I’ve never been the biggest fan of big cities, and I’ve definitely felt the wave of impostor syndrome that comes from being surrounded by talented people with X accolades and Y awards. People were already talking about networking, trying to find internships, and planning for future jobs when I had barely started acclimating to the new pool like a fish out of the water. And of course, I was always trying to excuse myself: “Sorry for being late to [insert DP obligation]. I had a review session,” or “I can’t go to lunch, I have to take photos for [X event] for the DP.”

In hindsight, I was afraid of taking up space, and I didn’t love explaining to people why I was spending evenings in the office, running across campus and town for a rally, or taking on the high-pressure task of covering national news last year. “Why am I doing all this,” I sometimes asked myself, “if journalism isn’t the end goal?” This question continually plagues me, even up to when I’m writing out this column. It’s like I have to have a logical reason why I’m doing this very thing that, if I were to boil it down, is basically a passion project, an extracurricular activity, a side gig that doesn’t fit neatly into whatever my future holds.

I think what’s more radical is asking instead, “Why do I need to explain myself?”

We’re so caught up in having a reason for everything we do that sometimes, we forget there is value in being present. It’s about the details from our day-to-day lives and knowing when to be present and there for your community. It’s checking in on a friend and making sure they’re okay. It’s the small words of encouragement when they are struggling on a final project. It’s about showing up when it counts, stepping in when people need it. A lot of these things aren’t offered in order to reach a higher end goal, and these things don’t often come with recognition or accolades. I think they are harder to do.

But, we live in a realist world, so I will provide an answer to the looming question. The simple answer I can give is this: I cared. I cared that the DP was a space where I could express myself creatively while also exposing myself to the stories that matter to real people. I cared about the work I did as opinion photo editor for the 138th and 139th boards and video editor for the 140th Board and all the people I got to meet along the way. I cared that my work had the power and ability to influence someone, even just for one second. I cared about the people in DP who, with all their quirks and inside jokes and immense talent, challenged me and uplifted me.

In the DP, I learned how to lead. I learned how to manage people in crises. I learned how to problem-solve when plans fall apart. I learned how to advocate for myself and speak up. I learned how people worked and how to extract what they weren’t saying out loud. These skills are what I will take with me in whatever future non-journalist work I do, because most of all, I gained a new sense of confidence in knowing that no matter where I’m put, I have the right to take up space. Because it is what I assign meaning to that matters most.

To the multimedia family I’ve had the privilege to work with, past and present: Sage, Sukhmani, Kylie, Sophie, Jesse, Kaveen, Anna, Abhiram, Jean, Weining, Chenyao, Sydney, Jackson, Grace C., Grace H., Riley, Uma, Ben, Lydia. You all continue to inspire me every day, and I mean it. I love seeing you all succeed and throw out fantastical ideas that make multimedia the medium it deserves to be in the DP. You are the reason why I can become the more realized version of myself today. I’ve even got the honor of calling some of you all my friends, my confidants, and collaborators in a variety of endeavors, and I will treasure these moments dearly.

To Andrea and Kristel, my day ones in multimedia and sports, respectively: I don’t know how I could’ve survived in this organization with your steadfastness and your loving energies. I just know you will be thriving wherever you go. To Diamy, the OG and the bomb-ass executive editor of the 141st Board, I will miss our daily K-pop musings and your exuberant self. To Caleb, Alexis, Walker, Vivian, Sean, and Valeri for somehow still drawing me back to sports even after I quit after in my first year, because DPOSTM is truly that. To Hannah, Nishanth, Jules, and Norah for forever changing my 34th Street Magazine trajectory and making me love working with y’all every single time. 

With that, I close my chapter on the DP and Penn, and I look forward to whatever space I take up in the future. Thank you, the DP. It’s been a real one.

DEREK WONG is a College senior from Hampton, Va. studying neuroscience with a minor in psychology and chemistry. He was previously the video editor of the 140th Board of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. He also worked as the opinion photo editor on the 138th and 139th boards. His email is dpwong@sas.upenn.edu.