I have written for The Reveille for the past semester and a half. In that time I have shared my opinions on a variety of topics, from LSU football to Mike the Tiger’s happiness.
In doing so, I have learned as much about my peers as I have about myself. 
No matter how similar we may be in classification, major or age, there is still such a huge difference in our own beliefs. I could never share an opinion and have everyone agree on it, but that’s okay.
Even if I was fine with not appealing to everyone, I quickly learned that a lot of people take differences in opinion very seriously. They would get angry and send hateful messages, all because I wrote opinions that didn’t align with their agendas. 
My first column was about how America only sees race in Black and white. I argued that the media is very selective in what they report—they failed, at the time, to report on the rising numbers of hate crimes against Asian Americans. I received tremendous backlash, with some readers messaging me claiming that I was spewing a harmful anti-Black narrative. 
I was told that these comments would come when I was first hired, but I had naïvely believed they would not affect me. In reality, they did.
I felt as if my voice was being taken away from me by my own peers; I felt that my opinions and feelings were no longer valid. I wanted to quit there.
Obviously, I didn’t quit. I continued sharing my opinions from March 2021 up until this very moment, and I’m glad that I did.
Working as an opinion writer made me bolder and stronger. My skin grew thicker as the comments rolled in, because I realized, unlike some of the Facebook and Twitter commenters, that it is okay to have different opinions. No one will agree with everything I say; I’m just glad for people to know how I feel. 
My time at The Reveille gave me great work experience and great life experience. I met some really awesome people and genuinely enjoyed the environment. My bosses have been compassionate and understanding and have encouraged me daily. My fellow columnists always cheered me on and gave me great feedback to become an even better writer.
This isn’t a messy break-up, and things aren’t going to be awkward between me and the rest of the Reveille staff. It was just time for me to move on. I enjoyed every budget meeting, time spent writing these columns and, yes, even all of the hate mail.
If you are reading this and find yourself even remotely interested in a position at The Reveille, go for it. I promise that you won’t regret it. 
Anthony Bui is a 21-year-old English major from Opelousas.