Elizabeth Muratore

I began blogging in my freshman year of high school. I had just discovered the extensive musical catalogue of the Beatles, and I felt I had so much to say about them and their music that I had to share it with others. Blogging seemed like a natural progression of my fandom, so I decided to start a Wordpress blog called “Beatle Me Do” through which I could muse about the Beatles in a more public setting. This became an enjoyable, therapeutic, and fulfilling hobby that I maintain to this day. To me, the Odyssey is essentially a conglomeration of blog posts from college students across the country. Unlike other contemporary websites, which feature quizzes, lists, and articles written by adults, The Odyssey focuses on articles written by actual college students about their daily lives. It uniquely and accurately reflects how students across the country view their colleges and the world beyond those colleges. I see the Odyssey as a more sophisticated, minimalist version of Buzzfeed. I believe it is the future of the internet for college students and for people who enjoy reading entertaining pieces about relatable, topical issues. I want to write for the Odyssey to share my thoughts and ideas on a new platform meant for a wider audience. I enjoyed writing for my school newspaper in high school, and I seek to translate that interest into a university setting. Blogging and writing articles are how I express myself to the world, and I believe writing for the Odyssey would similarly enrich my life. As an Odyssey writer, one of my goals would be to always remain honest in my posts. I would also strive to write about a broad scope of ideas to which college students can relate in order to attract consistent viewers to the Odyssey’s content. Most of my college activities involve the arts, but I am also interested in writing about other issues that are at the heart of college life, such as managing stress, job searching, and finding a home within a large university. By doing this, I would hope to become a valuable member of the Odyssey writing community at UVA.