When I began to write for the Odyssey, I was excited. Mostly because I would be able to write again, but also because I was taking a chance to share with others what I had written. However, a few months after writing, I noticed that some of my peers seemed to have an issue with the Odyssey, making accusations such as 'writing for the Odyssey doesn't mean you're a real writer,' and 'the Odyssey isn't journalism.'

I had never claimed to be a 'real writer' or a 'journalist,' by any means, but here I was- with one of my outlets for writing being attacked. Through my writing, I didn't see myself as harming anyone- or being so obnoxious that I should be prepared for that degree of scrutiny. I shrugged it off- at least until I saw one tweet that particularly rubbed me the wrong way.

Allow me to paraphrase:

"Stop using the Odyssey to justify your opinions."

This irked me in several ways, and brought several questions to mind:

1. Wasn't this girl also using social media to justify her opinion on why she disliked the Odyssey?

2. Why is it such an issue to explain your point of view?

3. Why is having an opinion a bad thing, especially when most of them are fairly non offensive?

4. Why did this girl have a problem with the Odyssey in particular, when so many forms of journalism utilized opinion in their work?

Unfortunately, I was left without answers for most of these questions, but it did get me thinking- young adults see opinions all of the time through social media platforms such as Facebook, and Twitter- but somehow, actually taking time to put your feelings into words was irksome, and wrong. If your opinion was more than 140 characters, it was viewed in a negative light. If your opinion didn't come with a time limit or a filter- it was unacceptable. If it was edited and reviewed- it wasn't worth the time.

I am not going to delve in the societal impacts of social media, or even opinions in media form, but instead focus the rest of this article to address some of the stereotypes I've heard, and describe why the Odyssey isn't nearly as bad as some people believe it to be- and believe me, I have no intention of apologizing for utilizing the Odyssey to justify my opinion on this matter.

First and foremost- Almost 80% of adults use some form of social media- and with social media, you are going to see a lot of different viewpoints. I think my biggest issue with the tweet that I saw, attacking Odyssey writers for having opinions, was that the author of the tweet was doing the very same thing she was shaming. She, like many Odyssey writers, had an opinion, and shared it on social media in the written form. I find it extremely doubtful that anyone will stumble across a twitter page, or facebook account that has no trace of opinion in any of the posts. In fact, the very definition of social media implies that ideas are spread- and with ideas, it is unlikely that there will not be an opinion tossed in at some point. (See here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20media )

Second, I get it. Some of the things you see on the Odyssey could very well be considered 'cliche'- such as the '500 Words on' or 'An Open Letter to' style that gets mocked on social media frequently. But here's the thing- so many people, and especially college students are caught between what they want to say, and how they want to say it. Segments such as those allow them to be able to say what they want to- without stumbling over formatting. I know there are times when I sit down to write an article, and find myself unable to describe what I want to in more than 500 words.

Thirdly, what is so wrong with expressing an opinion? Everyone has a viewpoint, and sharing them is how we are able to communicate, and try to better understand others. Hateful expressions that result with violence are unacceptable, but I hardly think the majority of Odyssey posts aim at a place of hate or aggression. I can personally say that as for me and my posts, I am not going to attack you with them, or make you read them by any means. This comes back to having free will of what you click on and react to.

As for my fourth question, I have no insight as to why the Odyssey is seen in such a negative light by some college students. Many college students have similar experiences, and having articles and advice out there offers some solace in the vast world of social media. All forms of communication come with some form of opinion, even within the daily news.

Allow me to end with this: if you are an advocate against the Odyssey, let me apologize.

I'm sorry for trying to find a way to express what I want to.

I'm sorry for experiencing the world and trying to figure out what I want to make of it.

I'm sorry for trying to put my thoughts into a cohesive manner, and share something I'm proud of.

I'm sorry that this was more than 500 words.

I'm sorry that I spent an entire article 'justifying' my opinion.

And most of all, I'm sorry that I am not at all sorry for any of the aforementioned things, and that I led you to believe that I was. I'm going to keep having opinions- and if need be, I will certainly justify them.