I was sitting in one of my education classes last week when my professor asked a question along the lines of, “Why is it important for our students to be able to read and write?”The whole class was dumbfounded by the question because the answer seemed so elementary.
The obvious answer is that reading and writing are the very cornerstone of education. Without it, the whole education system would come crumbling down. However, the answer my professor was looking for wasn’t what we expected at all.
“The importance of teaching, reading and writing is to give all of our students a voice,” my professor said before lecturing on how writing is an avenue for our students to express themselves and their emotions.
After that conversation, I began to think about how I express myself. I was (and still am) pretty convinced it wasn’t with writing. What is it that gives me, Carson Gentry, my voice? What voice do I have that stands out in a crowd and makes a difference?
This one question led me down a rabbit hole of identifying how I am able to make a difference with my voice. I finally landed on one thing that I have been able to do that gives me a voice: my position within the Student Association.
As an SA officer, I have had the pleasure of being a voice for the student body. I have been able to listen to people’s concerns, grievances and praises toward Harding, and it has been such an incredible experience to see the different perspectives a diverse community of people bring to the table.
My only problem is that, while I have the ability to be a voice for myself and other students to the administration, I know that there are so many students who are missing the opportunity for their voice to be heard. I believe that everyone’s voice should be heard and I, along with the rest of the SA officers, want to hear it.
I encourage you to realize that you have a voice.While it may be hard to express your voice individually, I would like to be your partner and express your voice with you. You matter, and we want you to take your place alongside us in the Student Association.
