I am in quite the predicament. As I sit in Weiler Hall writing this senior supplement on Saturday afternoon, multiple sirens roar past campus on nearby Coldwater Canyon Avenue. Red lights flash from fire battalions and engines alike. Helicopters hover overhead as they approach to fight the newly dubbed “Coldwater Fire.” I’ve had experience checking the WatchDuty app before: I guess you could say I used it once or twice on January 7, 2025.

When I rushed out of the house on January 7, my head was swirling with nerves for the taping of the boys basketball Mission League Preview show. My AP US Government discussion was also due that day. I gave my mom a quick hug and sprinted out the door to start my car, my sister following a few steps behind. Little did I know that would be the last time I walked through that doorway.

I spent a few days sleeping on an air mattress at my grandmother’s house, and then we moved into my dad’s fraternity brother’s condo. While our friends and family were super nice, attempting to visit our home was not super nice. We were initially prevented from visiting by the National Guard, but they let us in at a different checkpoint.

It was pretty surreal to see all of my belongings and possessions turned into white, flaky ash, with the exception of the ceramic mugs inside our dishwasher. One of those bottles, in particular, had been with me when I spent a cold winter night in the bleachers of Ted Slavin Field.

When I broadcast a girls’ soccer game on HWTV for the first time during junior year, I butchered the names of nearly all of the players on both our team and the visitors from a school in Hawaii. As I spoke sporadically, not wanting to say the wrong thing, I had no idea this was a big game against a top 10 team in the country, and there were hundreds of people watching. One of the parents let me know how to pronounce his daughter’s name, and I began to listen intently to ESPN and CBS Sports broadcasts.

Now, reflecting on my time broadcasting from the Intuit Dome, from O’Malley Family Field or from Taper Gymnasium, what made me continue was how great the environment at each sports game was: filled full of my classmates and supportive parents. Making jokes and creating a good time is why I kept with it. No matter what happens, I think looking at things in a positive light is actually the best advice I can give. Whether it’s my house burning down or the softball team going down by 6 runs, everything will always work out in the end. –AD out.