Viva la print

The written word is something that seems trite, kind of cute and mostly pointless these days.

As an English major, I’m always hearing the stereotypical “What do you do with that?” and “Have fun living in a box.” Journalists, all of you can understand me, because people still throw around the fact that “Print is dying, what’s the point?”

And honestly, I don’t know what I’ll be doing with an English degree post-graduation, but in the meantime, I’ll be schooling life.

Yes, it sounds cocky and gross, but this semester made me realize that control of the written word can be pivotal.

I’ve witnessed two of my own columns go viral and spawn a variety of reactions, both horrified and overwhelmingly supportive from readers.

I’ve also witnessed close friends’ editorials go viral when they might have never thought they would — for better or worse.

While some pieces were never meant to “make it big,” it’s a nice reminder.

At times, it’s easy to fall into the idea that the Indiana Daily Student is one of thousands of student-run journalistic endeavors in this nation. Who reads my work besides my mother and the occasional person in Starbucks who picks up the paper to avoid eye-contact with an ex?

This semester has certainly proven the opposite for my colleagues and me.

This isn’t just some kind of opinion section orgy that’s happening right now. This applies to all students, professors and even anyone who uses social media. Even a tweet can change your whole week and sometimes your whole life.

And even if the person who stumbles across something you wrote, tweeted or posted is just a lackadaisical passerby, what he or she just read has affected them in some fashion — and you’ve caused that.

Everything you write down has the power to drastically alter people.

This may seem like an odd, even preachy column, but it’s important to take time and think about the idea, because we don’t do that often.

When writing a term paper, I normally sit down and crank it out in a machine-like fashion. Most of you probably do the same thing. I mean, who else will read it besides my professor?

But with journals, scholarships based on papers and the inter-connectivity of professors, one term paper can go far.

This academic year, one term paper led me to having a discussion about what it means to be human with grad students from across the country.

It’s not hard to experience this as long as you realize there’s something that happens when you actually document your thoughts with either real or virtual ink.

You affect people with words.

Take time to remember that, and always pull it out of your pocket when someone tells you your education or your work here will get you nowhere “out there.”

­— sjostrow@indiana.edu