As 2022 comes to an end, so does my college career. These four and a half years have been turbulent, rewarding and filled with invaluable experiences I will never forget.  I entered the year feeling lost but met the most amazing people who I will be friends with for the rest of my life and I am exiting 2022 with a newfound family. 

I also cannot express how much I have learned in words but these lessons have instilled a deeper appreciation for the arts.

I became arts and entertainment editor of The Spartan Daily, San Jose State University’s newspaper, and joined the San Francisco Chronicle as an intern for their arts section, Datebook. I interviewed incredible Desi musicians, witnessed beautiful performances and helped elevate the voices of artists in my South Asian community. 

No matter what career I choose from this point forward, I will always look for a space in the arts. 

Arts and entertainment has now become my home. When I am lonely, I play the sounds of my favorite musicians. When I am sad, I visit museums with paintings that perfectly encapsulate how I feel. I watch and feel inspired by dancers who carry a breathtaking amount of elegance. And I look up at brilliant architecture, feeling small yet powerful. My leadership roles this semester also provided me with a platform to elevate the voices of phenomenal writers whose words would go on to inspire the next generation of artists. 

This year, I also learned what it means to be a leader, a role that was as challenging as it was exciting. I navigated friendships and learned how to create boundaries to protect my energy. I have grown away from being a shy writer to a confident one. 

But I have also faced several obstacles. I have lost friendships, and I have gone through long nights of lonely thoughts and short nights filled with adventures.

I am not sure where I will be next year. I’m not sure where I will be working or even what career I will end up choosing but for once, I am content with the unknown.

These are just a few of my favorite shows/films, articles, books and podcasts which provided me with endless comfort on my lonely nights and were the soundtrack of my happiest moments. 

Some of my favorite articles this year were also written by my peers at The Spartan Daily.

I spent three semesters on SJSU’S student-run newspaper The Spartan Daily. I joined as a staff writer in Fall 2022 and I had no idea that back then I would not only join a newspaper, but I would become a part of a family. The following semester I was the arts and entertainment editor. I spent my nights in the newsroom, laughing and crying, and producing a paper that served my community. This past semester, which was also my last, I became an associate editor. I learned so much about the meaning of being a leader but more importantly, I learned so much about strength and grace in the midst of chaos from my fellow executive board. 

The most rewarding part of The Daily was not just producing a paper for our community but it was the people I met.

Some of my closest friends were made in that room – people who have been there for me as I panicked about my page and stories.

I was timid and lonely in high school and I don’t think 16-year-old Saumya could have ever imagined having this many friends.

She would have never thought she would be going to dinner with them or inviting them into her home.

I will forever cherish my time in this newsroom no matter how difficult it was at times because it gave me lifelong friends, who have become my family. 

These are my favorite stories written by my colleagues at The Spartan Daily: 

My favorite articles I have authored this year:

My favorite part about compiling this list every year, is seeing my progress as a writer. This year, I had the wonderful opportunity to intern for the San Francisco Chronicle as the Next Arts and Critics Intern. I met incredible South Asian artists and learned so much from all of the journalists there. I am endlessly grateful for my experience there.

I also continued my Saumya’s Sounds column for The Spartan Daily where I wrote about all of my favorite 2022 music releases.

I am not entirely sure that I will be doing journalism in the future but writing – even if I don’t share it with others – will always be a constant in my life.

Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite articles I wrote this year: 

Books

Love, after all, was often made not of shiny things but practical ones. Ones that grew old and rusted only to be repaired and polished. Things that got lost and had to be replaced on a regular basis.

Remember — move thoughtfully, give freedom to others, and you’ll rarely do wrong, Sancia. I’ve learned that now, I wish I’d known it in life.

The story of the Koh-I-Noor continues to raise not only important historical issues but contemporary ones too, being in many ways a lightning rod for attitudes towards colonialism. The diamond’s very presence in the Tower of London poses the question: what is the proper response to imperial looting?

The scientific basis of Socialism rests, as is well known, on three principal results of capitalist development. First, on the growing anarchy of capitalist economy, leading inevitably to its ruin. Second, on the progressive socialization of the process of production, which creates the germs of the future social order. And third, on the increased organization and consciousness of the proletarian class, which constitutes the active factor in the coming revolution.

The ideal outcome is always the preservation of integrity. It’s painful when the consequence of the outcome is so severe… But it will stand as a reminder to thousands of people who cross its threshold that the right thing is worth doing.

That’s life. You’re always making deicions, taking paths that lead you away from the rest before you can see where they end. Maybe that’s why we as a species love stories so much. All those chances for do-overs, opportunities to live the lives we’ll never have.

I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me after, and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind.

I want to burden the conscience of the affluent with all the suffering and all the hidden, bitter tears.

Why did they believe? Because they saw miracles. Things one man took as chance, a man of faith took as a sign. A loved one recovering from disease, a fortunate business deal, a chance meeting with a long lost friend. It wasn’t the grand doctrines or the sweeping ideals that seemed to make believers out of men. It was the simple magic in the world around them.

Podcasts

Here are all of the podcast episodes I listened to this year:

TV/Film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73UhUTs6y0&ab_channel=Netflix

These are just a few of my favorite books, TV shows, movies, articles and podcast episodes from this year. Now more than ever I understand the value of arts and entertainment. It allows us to stretch our imagination and discover worlds beyond our own. The arts is where we find magic and hope. No matter how I am feeling, these works of art made me feel less alone and I hope they do the same for you.