You are seeing it now: one of the world’s greatest powers and most significant gifts. It is the basis for never-ending knowledge.

It is the written word: figures organized on a page to convey messages of any possible meaning. This seemingly simplistic skill which we find woven into everyday life is the fundamental building block of society’s progression. It is the written word that continues to alter lives and make history.

This power that belongs only to the written word has been employed by the world’s most influential leaders to change civilizations across the globe for centuries. It has been exercised here at Syracuse University to advance academics and to promote student political views. And it is a power we as students must continue to exercise.

Before the words “I have a dream” were preached or the command “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” was spoken, the words existed on a page. Foundations for governing and language translations would not have been built upon if ancient masters hadn’t carved the Code of Hammurabi or the Rosetta Stone into rock with the written word.

The continually lamented tragedy of losing the written word, like in the Mongol sacking of the Baghdad library in 1258 or the burning of the Library of Alexandria’s books many years before that, is further evidence of the perpetual, building block importance of written knowledge.

The instinctive writing process of ponder and deliberation followed by the marking down of thoughts is how much of the greatest written volumes and speeches of all time have come to fruition. This is how religion spreads, the knowledge of science grows and philosophers create lasting debates.

But it must be remembered that the use of words to become remarkable is not a tactic reserved to the policymakers and the storytellers. Every one of us is capable of changing a facet of the world with the written word.

Writing moves us by creating a documentation of where we have already been and a platform for where we can go next.

This is a process that we as students of higher education and members of the next set of leaders must also work to master. We are the minds charged with consuming what has been written down before us and developing it further, whether that is politically, scientifically, philosophically or economically. This must be applied beyond SU in the workforce, and exercised here on campus today through forums like the Student Association.

Expressing ideas proficiently through writing, and therefore the importance of developing the ability to write well, is part of why the Founding Fathers gave us the right to express our thoughts freely and the ability to protect those thoughts. These rights are contained in the Constitution, another written changer of history.

This push to contribute through the written word is not an idealist challenge to reach the heights of exceptional, large-scale influence. Rather, through the written word it is realistically possible to become part of the world’s free market of expression and progression.

Today blogs, social media, email and web-exclusive publishers make it easier than ever to promote the words you wish to be read and to consume the thoughts of others. But when you look at the written words on your newsfeed, only to discover who is eating dinner or hitting the gym, be reminded of the power these figures in a row can actually hold.

Don’t forget how writing represents us as individuals by leaving a well-constructed and lasting mark. It is imperative to use the platforms of the digital age to promote and produce sound writing, critical thinking and the creation of fresh ideas.

By mastering the written word, every one of us can wield one of the world’s greatest powers.

Rachael Barillari is a senior political science and Middle Eastern studies major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at rebarill@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @R_Barillari.

Published on December 5, 2013 at 1:38 am