From the classrooms that demand I remember to the late nights that require I forget, college has offered me an opportunity to experience absolute freedom: freedom to express myself, freedom to reject the outdated notions that have been imposed upon me and the freedom to do as I please.

This experience has given me the tools necessary to explore a vast array of ideas, cultivate meaningful relationships and develop my own nuanced opinions about the world around me.

Despite the pleasures of cheap thrills and fleeting glimpses of booze-addled euphoria, the most intimate moments of my formative years have not been spent out at the bar among friends, but rather the time I’ve spent in the clarity of my own vision.

To be completely comfortable in my own skin, even in the face of brash criticism and the ever-increasing pressure to conform to social norms, is empowering in a way that is difficult to articulate but impossible to ignore.

The road to self-actualization is paved by those blissful moments of lucidity, and although there are inevitable moments of doubt, I continue to stride confidently toward my goals and rebel against a decadent culture with a return to the traditional values of hard work and determination.

I have come to accept the level of responsibility that comes along with my freedom, and I have come to embrace the passion that drives me to unapologetically stand up for what I believe in.

Having recently been promoted to the Opinions Editor of The George-Anne, I’m hoping to offer a unique voice of my own while simultaneously facilitating the views of the larger Georgia Southern community.

With that being said, I would like to encourage each and every one of you to contribute, no matter how controversial the topic or unpopular the opinion.

In a day and age that allows for the instantaneous sharing of thoughts and ideas, it’s really easy to get caught up in the narratives that dominate the news cycle.

There seems to be an endless supply of debates, and the repetitive and often mundane nature of these disagreements can be overwhelming.

Written pieces that allow for reflection and thorough planning can be a relieving outlet for the aforementioned stress that accompanies these platforms for public discourse.

If you would like an opportunity to express yourself, especially in those areas you feel passionately about, I invite you to come and participate in the art of persuasion.