During the day, 202 York St. is a sleepy building. But at night, the place comes alive. This is the Briton Hadden Memorial Building, home to the Yale Daily News, led entirely by students and operated entirely independently of the University.
I knew coming into Yale that I wanted to explore the world of journalism — something I’d never gotten to try back in high school. I went to a YDN information session during the first weeks of school. My fellow freshmen and I were funneled into the top floor boardroom and, wasting no time at all, the editor-in-chief to explained to us the News’ procedure and coverage.
As I left the building, I couldn’t help but feel intimidated. I didn’t return for a year.
Last semester, I revisited the News, mostly because I wanted to write more seriously. Plus, I now had friends who were involved. I soon became engrossed in the publication, writing multiple pieces per week. Within a couple of months, I had become a beat reporter, a position usually reserved for those who had served as staff reporters for a semester or a year already.
Now, I realize what a mistake I had made during my freshman year. I had misinterpreted the friendliness of those in the building as aggression, professionalism as pomp. My friends at the YDN are now among my closest at Yale, and I’m consistently impressed with the hard work that they put into the paper.
As the nation’s oldest college daily, the Yale Daily News produces a full-length newspaper every school day, a weekly arts and living section called WEEKEND, a monthly magazine, and daily online content. Every day, the YDN sends journalists throughout Yale, around New Haven, and even occasionally beyond the boundaries of the city to cover all sorts of pertinent and interesting news stories. Complementing these journalists are photographers, designers, editors, and illustrators, many of whom work five nights a week to ensure the paper’s quality.
For me, the YDN is nearly a full-time job, but it’s also a team effort and one of the most rewarding things I’ve done on campus. Thanks to the YDN, my research and reporting skills have improved tenfold, and, for the first time ever, I feel comfortable calling myself a journalist and a writer.
