Onyx Spring-Summer 2017

Beth Allard Yoder ’15

Alum Beth Allard Yoder ’15 , is a music therapist at Rhythm Garden Music, in Jasonville, Ind., but in her spare time she writes for Odyssey. “Because you are open and can write about your own views, you get a lot of different perspectives,” Yoder explained. Yoder said she writes opinion pieces for Odyssey, writing about her experiences at The Woods and about things going on in Terre Haute. Her most popular posts have been “An Alum Letter to Professors,” and “Happy Birthday, McCormick’s Creek State Park,” which had almost 500 shares on social media. “I enjoy putting down thoughts that I don’t get a chance to say elsewhere,” she said. “I love taking moments, imagery or scenes from my life and sharing them with others. I also like getting other people to think. I don’t

like to stir up arguments, but I do like to get people to discuss things.” Yoder said she would love to see more Woodsies writing for Odyssey Online. She said the website is growing and all of the content creators form a very supportive community. “It’s a great way to improve writing skills and get yourself out there,” she said. “If writing is of interest, Odyssey is a great place to start.” In Yoder’s opinion, SMWC students are the perfect fit for the type of content creators that the Odyssey Online website is looking for. “SMWC students are so well prepared for critical thinking, looking at the world in a unique way and using their voices,” Yoder said. “Unlike some other outlets online, with Odyssey you can put your opinion out there and it doesn’t matter what side you’re on. It’s a welcoming community.”

The best part of college was you. DEAR PROFESSORS, It's been almost five years since my first day of college. In that half- decade, I've experienced a great deal of change; some of it was me changing, some of it was the college changing. One thing never changed, though: the best part of college was you. To read the full story visit: https://www.theodysseyonline. com/an-alum-letter-to- professors

BY BETH ALLARD YODER ’15

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