Dear fellow Odyssey writers,

Never in my year or so of writing articles for the Odyssey did I actually consider the effects of my words. My articles could be making a person feel happy, sad, motivated, informed, or even angry but I never took this into account when I typed furiously each week to meet a deadline.

I’ve wrote over 10-15 articles within this time and for the first time ever, someone has actively shown their disapproval of what I’ve written. The fact is, I never meant that specific article to be hurtful or be taken in a specific way other than it being informative. Despite my thoughts on the topic, I was taken by surprise because of who was effected. I lost a friend because of words I wrote.

Consequently, I urge every Odyssey writer to review their articles before posting them and think of the people you could be affecting. Think about what your article is promoting and how that could be taken by others. Does the good outweigh the bad or does the bad outweigh the good? In the end, it is up to you whether you post the 500 or so words you’ve taken so much time to write.

Time, it’s a factor. I know as a college student my time is cut nearly to nothing and the deadline to get at least one article in each week is difficult. Even with the time you have left, I still urge every Odyssey writer to review all the negatives and positives of your writing. Be aware of all consequences you might be approached by after hitting the submit button. Decide whether you can take the judgement or if you will buckle in the end.

Although I am urging all writers to review their work before submitting and to truly think of other’s feelings, I understand that the Odyssey is about getting your ideas out there. I understand that the Odyssey is solely about getting your story across and making a point. If certain people take negative effect to something you’ve written, it is not your fault nor do you deserve the ridicule that follows. Its opinion based. I understand this but the effects of losing a friend over a small article is truly hurtful and you all should consider this.

Sincerely,

A passionate but aware Odyssey writer