A voice never silenced

I must admit that becoming an English Major was terrifying for me. To take the risk of dedicating my four years here at Hope College to a subject that could not guarantee me a job after graduation was a little more than I could handle as a freshman. But here I am, typing away. How I got here is simply a coincidence, unknowingly manufactured by the Registrar office. Why I stay here is my reason for becoming an Editor of Voices. Keep reading.

In English classes, we are taught that “voice” is the author’s connection through the markings on a page to the reader. The reality of “voice” is that no one can have your voice, but that everyone has their own voice. Let me repeat: everyone has their own voice. Not just English majors, or Communication majors. That is why I am here, writing this. Not just because I have a voice, but also because I am genuinely interested in other people’s voices.

The Anchor takes a page (sometimes two) out of the newspaper to take a break from the news of our world and our college and focus on us: the students of Hope. Why waste that? Why waste your voice?

I chose to begin this page with a quote that I only stumbled upon a couple of semesters ago, in my Literature for Children and Adolescents class, where I read “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson for the very first time. Although this book is not the best written—in fact, it is not even my favorite—it is a book that I believe to be important because it lends itself heavily to the importance of what it means to have a voice, no matter what form of art, whether it be physical or written. That book and many other influences have brought me to where I am today and I have realized that my most comfortable voice is right here, when writing in ink. I encourage anyone else who wants their voice, in whichever of the many forms that it comes, to send their pieces to the Voices section of The Anchor.