Undoubtedly, freshman year of college is as much a journey to find a sense of “home” in a foreign environment as it is anything else. Georgetown can be a mental Hilltop as much as it is a physical one, and the “homes” we build during our time here shape our ability to ascend it. The question is—where to start building? With hundreds of organizations and associations on campus, how to even begin?
For so many of us at the Georgetown Voice, this publication has been an extraordinary corner of campus to inhabit. The Voice is about meaningful journalism and speaking truth to power; it is also about community and empowerment and love and a good time. As you begin carving out the first of many new homes in your time at Georgetown, we hope you choose to come build one with us.
These are the stories of members of the Fall 2020 Voice masthead about what makes our organization so extraordinary—why you should choose to write, publish, and create with us, perhaps, but also what it is that makes the Voice so incredible in the first place—for editors, for writers, and for readers.
So, what makes the Voice extraordinary?
Annemarie Cuccia (SFS ‘22), News Editor
The Voice is about uplifting—it’s about being in community not just with each other, but with the Georgetown campus as a whole. You are asked to open your eyes, and then do the same for others, you are asked to willingly receive the torch you are passed. These are missions that sound simultaneously both grandiose and cheesy, but at the Voice, they humble you.
The genuine care from each of our members can be felt in each issue and article, each hurried interaction in our office and hard-won interview. Whether you are a member, or a reader, we are here to challenge you—challenge your assumptions, challenge your interests, challenge what you thought student journalism could be. The Voice, at its best, does not settle.
Insha Momin (SFS ‘23), Spread Editor
There’s something for everyone. If that something doesn’t exist, you can be the first to do it.
Sarah Watson (SFS ‘23), News Executive
People in the Voice put stunning effort into their work, yet no one takes themselves too seriously. I consider the Voice as a force that defies campus culture. Your value is not measured by an application, but by your passion and dedication.
Every day at the Voice, I interact with people who put so much thought into everything they do. I love that. I love being around people who I call my friends, but who also challenge me to be a better writer, thinker, student, and person.
Zev Burton (SFS ‘22), Website Manager
It took me all of four minutes to feel included within the Voice community. Even as someone who does not have a news background, there was a place for me within this community—to the point where I am living with two other members of the Voice this fall! The Voice is the pinnacle of student journalism and is the epitome of what it means to be a community on campus.
John Woolley (Col ‘22), Leisure Executive
The Voice is where I found my family on campus. I’m excited and grateful to be part of a group of people who are not only good journalists, but who are also welcoming, intelligent, passionate, and kind.
I had never been a part of a paper or magazine when I started—journalism didn’t even register for me as an option. Then I showed up at a meeting during my freshman fall and, three years later, it’s my favorite thing I do at school. The people at the Voice helped me grow and become a better version of myself.
Annette Hasnas (Col ‘23), Voices Assistant Editor
If you have any interest in writing—whether you ran your high schools’ newspaper or have never read a word of student journalism before—The Voice is a great place to do it. More than any other publication process I’ve been through, The Voice’s finds the sweet spot between outside editing and authorial voice, meaning that each piece I’ve written has come out not just polished and tight, but still feeling authentic to me. Never once had I questioned that Voice editors are there not just to shape a better piece in the abstract, but to help me express myself as well as I can.
Roman Peregrino (COL ’22), Managing Editor
The beginning of my freshman year was difficult, I won’t lie. Georgetown was A LOT different than my small high school. I only had two friends, and I was worried they would soon tire of me and I would be alone. With the Voice, I was never alone. I still am never alone. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what abilities you have, you have a place here. We aren’t perfect, but no organization is. The Voice will always take a shot on you and I think that’s pretty extraordinary.
Emma Chuck (COL ‘22), Assistant Copy Editor
From the moment I saw the editors of the Voice gathered at the front of an ICC room the fall of my freshman year, I knew I wanted to be a part of the Voice. The camaraderie, knowledge, and dedication stood out immediately. Every semester since has given me the opportunity to learn more, challenge myself more, and become more in awe. Each section of the Voice works wonders and contains just as wonderful people, but what makes it extraordinary is that if you want a place in it, it will certainly find a place for you. No matter what you’re interested in, the amount (or lack) of experience you have, the Voice calls out to welcome you and help you find what you need at Georgetown.
Annabella Hoge (COL ‘23), Assistant News Editor
One of the best decisions I made my first year at Georgetown was going to an interest meeting for the Voice. I’d never written for any kind of student publication before and was very nervous, but once I started to get to know the writers at the Voice I felt at home. I felt comfortable to work creatively and explore a form of writing I had virtually no experience with. And now, almost a year later, I still feel that support from the Voice team every day.
The Voice is an incredibly uplifting community of dedicated people who encourage each other in all endeavors. Not only does the Voice publish well-reported work produced by passionate writers, but it also inspires creativity, challenges ideas and sparks personal growth. The Voice strives to be a place for every person and every story, and no matter your previous experience, you have a home here.
Delaney Corcoran (COL ‘21), Editorial Board Chair
Freshman year, I was looking for a creative outlet on campus. The Voice’s colorful graphics and aesthetic layout caught my eye at CAB fair and I put my name down to join the design section. Three years later, I have spent almost every other Wednesday night in the Voice office poring over pages of spreads. I have met some of my dearest friends and bonded with people I would have never encountered if not for the Voice. I have transitioned from the Design section to the Editorial Board as my passions shifted and I felt drawn toward speaking out for what is right on campus and in D.C.
People connect differently when they are working on a passion-project as a group. When you join the Voice you join a team, where everyone is committed to helping you do your best— because each person’s success becomes the success of the whole magazine. There are lot of spaces on campus where you can focus on your own growth, but it is pretty special to have a collaborative, encouraging environment that results in some kick-ass reporting, designs, and all other types of writing
Paul James (SFS ‘23), Contributing Editor
College can be a scary place
so it helps to find a friendly face
So much to choose from home far away
And where to land, at the end of the day?
Lucky for you, I know a space
With bonds that none can erase
An office without much room to pace
That’s why you’ll hear us shout and say
Join the Voice!
First on every scene and story, we race
‘cross campus and city, case to case
And you can too (never written? come anyway!)
“**** *** ****,” that’s what we say
Check us out, find your place
And join the Voice!
Katherine Randolph (COL ‘21), Editor in Chief
The Voice has given me the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and hear their stories, and more deeply engage with the campus I live on and the city it’s in. When I’ve had a bad day, the Voice’s office is the first place I want to go, and the friends I’ve made in the Voice are the people I trust most for advice. The late nights in our office and snack runs to Vittles are some of the most formative experiences of my life at Georgetown, and I cannot wait to welcome the class of 2024 to our ranks.
