Michelle Hammond
Associate A&E Editor
I think opinion pieces are hard to write because there will always be someone who disagrees with what you have to say no matter how serious or silly the topic might be. Then again, I suppose that’s the point of an opinion piece. You’re basically putting an argument out there and trying to prove to people why your opinion is the right one, right? Obviously I’ve never actually written an opinion piece (unless detailed Facebook statuses count) and yet, here I am.
Before sitting down to write this, I was having a bit of a panic attack because I didn’t have the slightest idea about what I was going to write about. So first, I decided to simply ask people what they wanted. I thought maybe this way I could get an idea of what people are interested in hearing in an opinion piece. I asked my boyfriend, my roommate and my classmates and quickly realized the ideas they gave me were really just topics that they had strong opinions on. This was of absolutely no help to me because while it was all stuff they could write a book on, I probably couldn’t make it past three sentences. I guess I should have seen that one coming.
My next brilliant idea was Google. Google is reliable right? Always there when you need it, almost never lets you down. I searched ‘Ideas for opinion pieces’ and came across an education blog from The New York Times called “163 Questions to Write or Talk About.” I suddenly felt overcome with a sense of triumph. My problem was solved. Out of 163 different options, there just had to be something I could give an opinion on. Evidently, I was wrong. Still nothing. The closest I got was “What’s More Important: Talent or Hard Work?” probably because I’m graduating in May so I guess that’s something a little relevant in my life at the moment. Still, I wasn’t convinced.
The first place I should’ve looked was probably just the news. There’s always a lot going on in the world that’s sparking lots of people’s opinions and as a journalism major, I should know. However, what quickly scared me away from doing an opinion on a more serious topic is the fact that I am by no means an expert on anything, at least not yet. That’s not to say I can’t share my opinion but I mean, why would anyone aside from maybe the people who know me well really want to know what I think? I guess that sounds a little pessimistic on my part, but that’s just my opinion.
Hammond is a senior majoring in journalism.
