Abby Wright

Name: Abby Wright

Grade: 12

Position: Editor in Chief

1. What do words mean to you?

“They mean a lot to me because writing has always been the one thing that I can do—that I am good at. I’ve never really been that good at sports or school or anything of that nature, so I’ve kind of latched on to the ability to write and ran with it. Words to me are just something that I know how to use—that I’ve always known how to use. I’ve never really thought about what words mean to me because they’ve always been a constant, so it’s hard to pinpoint what they mean. They’re just a security blanket or something comfortable for me, but they also push my boundaries a lot too.”

2. What is your favorite word and why?

“In seventh or eighth grade, I read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and it was my favorite book of all time. That was when I really saw the power of words because the way she used them was just so powerful, and that book was so relatable at that time. I really, really needed that book at that time. The characters always used the word lovely, and it’s a word that I never really thought about before then; I overlooked [it]. Ever since then, I really just like that word. I don’t use it in my writing because I feel like it’s not a writing word; it’s just a speaking word, and I use it sparingly because I don’t want to diminish the meaning of it. Very rarely do I use it, but when I do use it, I always go back to reading that book and how it changed me so drastically all those years ago.”

3. How do you use your words purposefully?

“I just always want people to see what I see in writing and words, which is that it’s such a powerful art and way to express and communicate—as cheesy as that sounds. I have been writing my entire life, and [with] these past four years on The Central Trend, I’ve really cultivated that passion and focused it on what I really like doing: writing about other people. I love, love, love writing profiles and features just because I love getting to know people and having the gift to share their story. It’s such a gift that I won’t ever take for granted because it’s just so powerful. I use my words to share other people’s passions and stuff like that.”

4. Do you feel that writing has changed you?

“As a whole, writing has definitely changed whom I spend my time with and what I want to do in the future. In the past four years, I’ve been working towards a career in journalism, and I’m so excited to do it the rest of my life, starting at Syracuse. I just spend a lot of time with people who feel the same about words, which is very cool because we all understand the power of them, and we share them with each other; it’s a really amazing thing to have. I don’t even remember when I started writing, but I just remember always doing it, so I’ve just always been aware of the power of my words, and I hope others are aware too. I just see all the time people throwing around words like they’re nothing, and that’s such a mistake to make. I feel like people don’t realize how heavy that is. You can make or break someone with the words you choose to share or the things you choose to say to someone.”