Like every ambitious college student, I pursued activities for the sake of pursuing them, and when I first joined the Odyssey staff as a contributing editor, I thought I was just doing this to fill the blank spot on my resume. I was always good at English, and I kept a poetry journal in my spare time. Writing, along with speaking, was something that always came naturally to me. So, when I saw a post on my university’s Class of 2020 Facebook group, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to apply.

5 months later, Odyssey has become an inundation of my reflections. It is an opportunity for me to evaluate and organize my thoughts and emotions. I have used Odyssey to convey my past physical and emotional struggles, and I always get excited when I see others do the same. Odyssey is more than just a “college newspaper on steroids.” It is more than just a startup that attempts to communize the media business through a more grassroots approach. It is an opportunity for college students like myself to express ourselves and educate others. Here is why I write for Odyssey (and why you should too).

1. You have the flexibility to write on whatever topic you want.

Often times, printed and online publications don’t give the writer a lot of autonomy in what to write. Odyssey dedicates itself to the democratization of information, and this message extends to the writer as well as the consumer. Because we’re constantly looking for ideas for our next article every week, we are encouraged to look around and within ourselves. As content creators, we are given a platform to share ideas and inspire others, unfettered from restrictions.

2. You learn how to amplify your voice for change.

Society often mischaracterizes the millennial generation (also known as Generation Y) as ignorant and incompetent, and it may be because we are always on our phones and disconnected from our worldly surroundings. In reality, millennials have and will continue to develop unconventional ways to address social justice and political issues. Odyssey is one of these creative platforms; it wields social media and modern-day technology as a weapon to share our opinions and advance our ideas. If you scroll through Odyssey’s homepage, you’ll witness an array of perspectives and stories, from rape culture to white privilege to Gary Johnson -- and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

3. It teaches you how to strategize carefully and creatively.

I’ve always excelled at coming up with catchy titles for projects, but I never realized how powerful a cover photo or the phrasing of a social media post can be. These nuances are essential in understanding how to cater to large audiences. By introducing me to new sharing strategies and social networking platforms, Odyssey has taught me how to be proficient in social media, a necessary quality for any working millennial in a technologically advancing world.

4. You realize that you can make a difference with just a keyboard and an idea.

At Odyssey, we believe that in order to attain world peace, we have to first educate ourselves and others. We aim to achieve this culture by exposing even our most dogmatic companions to new, fresh perspectives. We all have a story to tell. Our perspectives have been shaped by our friends, our surroundings, and our identities; no point of view can ever be the same. But, before we can act, we must first teach and understand, and once you speak up, people will listen.