By Emma James
Hello everyone! My name is Emma, I’m an intern for Imprint and the editor of this issue. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read the articles we’ve included in this issue. We hope you enjoy them and that they help you in some way, or at least make you feel less alone.
It’s hard going to such a big school sometimes, because you feel like everyone already has friends and knows what they’re doing with their lives right when they walk through the door, but it isn’t true. Everyone struggles to find their place; everyone wants to find where they belong.
Being engaged in some way for the good of the community, whatever that community, is a factor in a meaningful life. We long to belong, and belonging and caring anchors our sense of place in the universe.
Patricia Churchland
The goal with this issue was to highlight the difficulties UCF students face (whether they be due to personal reasons, outside factors, the pandemic, et cetera) when it comes to finding their place within their community, as well as society in general. We wanted to talk about the things that college students go through every day because it’s something that all of us can relate to, but with a focus on how to better oneself and overcome these obstacles. We aimed to publish articles that talked about trying new things, connecting with others, getting involved, and being aware of the role you play in the world, and we were not disappointed.
The articles we’ve received from students this semester discuss topics such as changing majors, transferring, living abroad, what it’s like to work at an off-campus student housing community, what subjects are important to the student body and why they need to be taught, how to step outside of your comfort zone and open yourself up to new experiences—all with an underlying tone of hope for the future and the unspoken message that everyone does things at their own pace. It’s not important how you do them, what’s important is that you do them.
Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than dream: work.
William Arthur Ward
The articles included in this issue explore how the writer has found their place, what they tried in order to do so, who helped them along the way, and how their experiences have changed them for the better. They ask readers to reevaluate what they think about themselves and their community, and to question why we do things certain ways. How can we make things better? Why should we bother trying? Where do we start?
Anything worth looking at can and should be looked at from countless different perspectives. Since we include only a handful in this issue, I think it’s important to note that we don’t claim these articles cover the entirety of any of the subjects they discuss. They simply offer a glimpse into the discourse, and we hope that they inspire our readers to look more into them.
We trust that you’ll see yourself in the words these students have written, and that at the very least what you’ll take away from their articles is that you aren’t alone. Belonging is something we all strive toward; finding your place is something everyone desires. It can be hard, and sometimes it has to be a solo endeavor, but not always. It isn’t a crime to ask for help.
Put yourself out there. Try new things. Ask questions. Make friends. Learn something.
We hope you enjoy our issue.
It’s often said there is no footprint too small to leave an imprint on this world.
Aaron Hotchner (Criminal Minds)
