Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Since 1907
Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Calvin Odyssey writing group growing on campus

This past April, an Odyssey community started here at Calvin College. It continues to grow today, as more are encouraged to become new writers on the team. Creators write articles every week, collaborate with team members and share their work on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you have heard of Odyssey, you most likely have seen an article on Facebook. Perhaps the title was something like “12 Things That I Never Knew My Freshman Year” or “6 Reasons Why You Should Live In The Dorms,” those being the more generic that Odyssey has to offer. Ones by our own students might be “Appreciating Our Families,” by Macy Schimmel, or “‘New Girl’ Explains Going Back to College,” by Meghan Worley, who is also the Editor-in-Chief. I, myself, am part of this community, and I recognize it as a great opportunity for any writer who wants some experience and publicity. No matter how much experience you have with writing, you can write for Odyssey. No matter what year you are in college, you can write for Odyssey. No matter what your interests are, you can write about them for Odyssey. Here is some more information on what Odyssey is all about.

What Odyssey Is

Odyssey is an an online social media platform that allows its creators to write articles every week that showcase their passions, facilitate conversations and engage with the world as it happens around them. There are more than one thousand Odyssey communities nationwide, and Calvin College is one of them! This means that we have a group of Odyssey writers that come together to support of one another here on campus. The Odyssey team at Calvin is searching for individuals who are passionate about creating and engaging conversations and who can reach out to specific groups on and off campus to create meaningful content. The team can be found on a  Facebook page, where some of them like to go to read each other’s articles. And now that the school year has started back up, the group will be coming together for meetings to discuss new developments and the joy of writing in general.

What Odyssey Does

Writers for Odyssey write one article a week. It can be any length and any style of writing. The writer has complete freedom with what they create. Articles are due by five o’clock every Friday. They are submitted to an editor, who will then send in the articles to be published the following week. Writers are encouraged to share on three or more social platforms. Odyssey wants their writers to get their name out there and be read. After all, that is why anyone should  write; to be read. Odyssey believes that its creators should be able to write about anything that they are passionate about — there are no restrictions on what you may or may not write. Odyssey strives for content that is diversified and can reach out and resonate with various groups, whether those groups are on campus or in the entire world. Creators can create humorous pieces, showcase poems or prose, share their experiences, show appreciation for others and inform others about important events going on in the world. Odyssey creators have the power to use their voice in a very innovative way — and some may be surprised by how far that voice can reach. Mainly. The Odyssey team here on Calvin justs wants it’s Creators to have fun with what they write.

The Benefits of Odyssey

Odyssey is also a great way to also build your resume. All of the content that is published on Odyssey is published professionally by managing editors who are hired by Odyssey, based out in New York. By becoming a creator on Calvin’s Odyssey team, you can create fun articles each week while simultaneously creating a professional portfolio of published work. You do not have to be an English major to join the Odyssey team! As mentioned before, they’re looking for passionate people who have things to say — across every major and group on campus. Writing is an important skill, no matter what profession you pursue. It is good to be able to convey and develop your thoughts in a readable format.

Odyssey is super easy to join. With only one article a week, it is also easy to keep up with. It does not take up too much time from the busy schedule a college student might have. And while it might just seem like another writing assignment on top of all your other homework, it is more of a reprieve to be able to have something to write that you can have fun with, rather than something that has to fit into specific criteria. With such a welcoming and open team, it is a fun way to gain experience with writing and to get your name out and published. Your article might be the one to go viral and gain the most shares. Your words could reach out to communities that are farther away than you could have ever imagined. You also practice presenting your articles and ideas in a way that will draw attention and gain readers for your material. Each article has a heading and a cover photo that gives it an aesthetic appeal. Don’t worry about having enough ideas to write on each week; there is so much out in the world to supplement your own thoughts that it’s never much of a problem to come up with something that people will be interested in reading.

How to Become a Part of the Team

If this is something that interests you, you are invited to request an invitation to join the Odyssey team here at Calvin College by visiting theodysseyonline.com/apply. Be sure to mark Calvin College as your community so you can begin to create and gain experience in writing. Being a part of the team is such an awesome experience. All the writers gain something, whether it be new ways to express their thoughts in writing, or figuring out what design or format of writing works best for them.,

“From the moment I started writing for Odyssey, I knew that it would help me grow as a writer,” said sophomore Calvin Odyssey member Macy Schimmel. “I learned so much about myself and the world. If you get the chance, or are even remotely thinking about writing, apply. It’s worth it.”

What you learn from writing for Odyssey can help you in any kind of writing you may do later in life. You will be able to better develop your writing skills and find out more about yourself and what you are capable of.

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