His Stories Take The Air-ada Your Lungs
Angelica Hennessy | OPINIONS EDITOR
April 23, 2026
You likely know him from his job working the Wardman Library circulation desk, or his showstopping performance of “Mr. Brightside” at this year’s Whittfest. You may recognize him by his deadpan cadence, the same two Superman shirts he cycles through, or his luscious long hair. You may occasionally see him as the victim of constant harassment from his friends, particularly from the Opinions Editor, Angelica Hennessy. If you don’t know fourth-year Ethan Airada, then do you even go here?
Graduating this May, Airada is leaving Whittier College with a desire to make an impact on the world with his creative writing. Always dreaming of pursuing a career as a writer, Airada believed attending the College would be a great place to start his journey—a decision he does not regret.
Writing for the Quaker Campus (QC) and being published in The Greenleaf Review, Airada is incredibly grateful for what he has learned here as well as the friendships he has made along the way.
He discussed how during his time at the College, he has put a lot of effort into pushing himself out of his comfort zone, getting more involved on campus, and having a blast talking to new people.
One such method was joining the QC, which he feels has not only given him invaluable writing experience, but has also allowed him to gain confidence and a large number of good friends he fears he may have not made otherwise.
Airada is a fiction, video game, and Berserk enthusiast who loves good storytelling above all else. Airada expresses how his love for writing stories comes partly from the feeling that his own life has not been exciting enough.
Writing fiction has become an outlet to express himself and write about the fantastical situations he can’t get out of his mind. Many of his stories are based on dreams he’s had, or dramatic reimaginings of his own experiences.
When asked about his writing process, Airada responded, “I write like jazz, I guess. A lot of it’s just in the moment, whatever I feel.”
Airada’s dry humor bleeds into his writing, as seen in the many articles he has written for the QC, which you can just feel the simultaneous passion and sarcasm in.
He does not shy away from making his opinion known, oftentimes through a whirlwind of metaphors and hyperbole. Whether it be in his fictional or journalistic pieces, Airada loves to build up a story “Until at the end, you feel what I want you to feel.”
Airada is both excited and fearful of life after graduation, not yet completely sure what the future has in store for him. He says that he just wants to to enjoy his time at the College while it lasts, trying not to get paralyzed thinking about the passage of time and the world of “real adult responsibilities” he will soon be stepping into.
Airada’s primary goal remains getting his fiction published, and he is currently considering getting a Masters degree in Creative Writing, although he says that probably won’t happen for a while.
According to Airada, he’s just getting started. There’s a whole world of new places, new things, and new stories that Airada can’t wait to explore and be inspired by. He wants his fiction to have a lasting impact, to resonate with people, while also remaining authentic to himself.
In the words of poet Percy Shelley, Airada jokes that he wants others to “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.”