I'm getting really annoyed at the people who make fun of Odyssey, or discredit the entire site just because they find some of the articles aren't high quality. For now, it seems like Odyssey is known for their "Open Letter to Whomever" articles and "20 things you can do at this place" articles. While lists and open letters seem to be trending overall, that's not all Odyssey does.
First off, the writers on Odyssey aren't all hand-picked for their writing abilities. Any college student looking for a place for their articles to get published can sign up for Odyssey. It's actually pretty easy. The catch with signing up for Odyssey is that the writers are promising to produce one article per week. For college students buried in homework, getting one more quality writing piece put together every week can be challenging. That's why the articles aren't all op-ed's or long, researched studies. I like using the option of making a list when I have a busy week and need to get an article in. It's important to remember that Odyssey writers are not professional writers. We are college students, aspiring journalists, and people who just like to write for fun.
The truth is, there are a lot of really well-written articles on Odyssey. Between the fun lists, sentimental letters, and rants, are a lot of well-thought out articles about what is going on in the world. They talk about everything from why someone would want to join a sorority, to the way the 2016 elections are going, to why the media doesn't talk about tragedies overseas in places that aren't Europe. Some writers like to create more serious material, and some writers like to write satire. That's one of the reasons I love Odyssey.
As a writer of Odyssey, I have the freedom to write about what I want to write about. I'm not confined by word count, content, or popular culture. I can write about whatever I want as long as I get my article in by the deadline. I also don't have to go through a line of revisions; My article is edited by the Editor-in-chief at my college, and by an employee at the Odyssey's New York headquarters. This also means that my articles will only be as polished as I make them.
I write for Odyssey for several reasons. First, it forces me to write something non-school related every week. As someone who aspires to be an author, practicing writing about different subjects will make me a better writer. I'm sure that by the time I graduate, my first and last articles on Odyssey will show a difference in my writing style. I think writing for Odyssey will make me a better writer.
Another reason, is that I want my voice to be heard. There are hundreds of news sites, and they are all filled with the top stories of what's going on in the world today. While opinion pages exist, Odyssey is a great platform for people to talk about what they care about. It makes it easier for my generation to share their thoughts and ideas. It's similar to having a blog, but let's you have the freedom to cover any subject. Then, it's your own job to share the article on social media platforms so that people can see your work.
Another great thing about Odyssey is that I now have a web page of my published work. Not only does Odyssey look good on job applications, but future employers can look at what I wrote about for Odyssey.
So next time you want to dis Odyssey because some of the articles aren't interesting to you, remember how much time and effort some of us put into our work.
