Non-Profit Internet Source for News, Events, History, & Culture of Northern Frederick & Carroll County Md./Southern Adams County Pa.

 

Four Years at the Mount

On the importance of the written word

May 2019

Read These Words

Harry Scherer
Class of 2022

Prove it. Show me! Do you have any pictures?

These commands, exhortations and inquiries are repeated many times a day by skeptical, pushy or inquisitive persons. We live in a world in which the written word, or words of any kind, are given little credence. The claim that a picture is worth a thousand words is peddled by tabloid editors and social media gurus. Do we have to surrender to this mantra and relinquish our powers as functioning, rational human persons that are able to competently convey meaning through words? Absolutely not.

The root of the problem of accepting images as superior to an eloquent and meaningful combination of words seems to lie in the shift in emphasis in secondary and higher education. The building blocks of impactful speech, logic and rhetoric are not intentionally taught to high schoolers and college students, leaving the future generation defenseless against the influences of illogical reasoning and dissonant speech. Unless one is taught at an institution which attempts to mimic the merits of a classical education, students must fend for themselves in the world of flashy pictures and seven-word headlines.

With this incompetent formation, one without even rudimentary foundations of philosophy, our generation fails to recognize the existence and influence of absolute truth, one that is the case in every time and place and in every circumstance. Instead, words are used to craft "interpretations," which cloud the understanding of the reader, rather than clarify.

Another factor which has led to the degradation of the written word is the frequent use of social media. By the very use of the instrument, persons necessarily limit their actions and personal development into a series of recent pictures or a 280-character stream of thoughts. There is no room for explanation or analysis in these media. Instead of actually seeing the changes that persons make in their actions or the eccentricities of their thoughts, a recognition requiring personal contact, we are confined to pictures and tweets that submit to the "wow" factor.

Nowhere is this more evident than on "Catholic Twitter," an informal group of Catholic laymen, priests and religious who share their thoughts on Catholic life, culture and recent events. Because users are limited to 280 characters in describing the beauty of life in a Church which claims to house the limitless, the problem of incomplete and confusing narratives arises. Well-meaning tweeters succumb to shining the spotlight on fellow members of the Church with whom they disagree, furthering confusion with regard to love and respect for the Papacy, and even minimizing the breadth and influence of the faith. With all of these unfortunate effects of the medium, there is little emphasis on being cogent, lucid or respectful in the way ideas are presented.

In the same way, reading and writing have become less impactful today because of the instant gratification surrounding these media. Instead of sitting and analyzing a text or laboriously meditating on the most impactful manner in which to use words, persons prefer to digitally blurt out whatever comes to their minds, without consideration to diplomacy, or read a misleading headline from the source which most aligns with their political ideology.

The degradation of political dialogue is another symptom from an apathetic view of the written word. Instead of genuinely considering political philosophy and thoughtful political analysis, citizens are left to fight for who can embarrass persons on the other side of the political spectrum. We have no weapons with which to fight those with whom we disagree other than personal insults and purely pathetic arguments.

With all these complaints, it lies in our hands to change the course of linguistic appreciation. Because the future of our political, religious and cultural discourse revolves around an intentional use of the written word, we have the obligation to recognize and act upon the benefits of a proper use of the language upon which we have been bestowed.

It would benefit us to read works which stretch our literary comfort. Instead of only reading entertaining science fiction novels, it would be beneficial to read a historical account of a time period for which we have previously given little thought. An ability to competently read across genres is a specialized skill which few people have and benefits us to see the different perspectives from which many different persons come.

In addition, it would be beneficial to explore the details of news stories beyond the cover picture and catchy headline. The purpose of these two marketing necessities is to draw in the reader to the content by whatever means necessary. For example, headlines can be unintentionally misleading by forgoing context and other essential information which is analyzed in the text. Also, pictures capture that onto which the eyes latch. Instead of informing, the cover photo attracts.

Satisfaction with simply absorbing incomplete information from a headline and photo can immediately lead to misunderstanding and ignorance. Because much of the thoughts and opinions which we all have are informed by nuanced understandings of information, it is essential to recognize the perspective from which another person is coming so that we recognize the flaws of our own thoughts or the way in which we are portraying them.

Finally, for the young who feel that they have received an incomplete education and fear that the future leaders of our generation think illogically and speak unclearly, it would greatly serve us to invest in a short guide to logical thinking and grammar book. An ability to think in a lucid manner and speak eloquently is a lost art for our generation and will predict who will lead our culture into the next decades. We should be armed with the defenses of clear thought and coherent words so that we may rightly inform the uninformed about the truths of our world and effects of our actions.

Read it. Say it! Do you have any thoughts?

Read other articles by Harry Scherer


Words

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

Growing up, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I would write little stories and draw pictures and staple the papers together so that they’d look like pages in a book. I always thought words held a lot of importance, and words always proved to be the best form of communication, at least for me. It was a way that I could explain myself. This was the way I could express myself best. I was a shy kid. I didn’t speak much. But with words, I could say everything I wanted to say, clearly and meaningfully.

My mother’s first language is Tagalog. Back in the Philippines, English is the second language, so she was pretty good at speaking it. But often times she’d mix up present tense with past tense and past tense with future tense, so people often made fun of her. Lots of times, those people were my classmates who’d come over for a playdate and hear her speak.

"Why does your mom speak like that?"

"Does she not know how to speak English?" they’d whisper to me.

At the time, my mother would always pretend not to hear them. But when they were gone, and it was time to do my homework, she’d say to me, "Angela, practice your English very hard. Read books. Write your stories. This way no one can ever make fun of you. This way, you’d always be one of them."

Writing became a way of belonging. I never had much of a problem in public school. Everything was diverse. But my mother believed in moving me back and forth from private to public school as a way of exposing me to different cultures. I could meet different people to have a better understanding of what was around me.

Private school always tended to be predominantly white, well-to-do families. My mother was a single mother who worked as a babysitter, and I often would attend private school on scholarships. I often felt out of place. My friends used to go to a pizza parlor every day after school, and I wouldn’t join them because we didn’t have the money to spend so wastefully.

But eventually, I would always be saved by my writing. English was always my best subject, and my teachers saw how much I loved to write. I became the girl who was good at writing and that made me finally feel like I belonged.

Our prompt this month is to talk about what is more valuable: a picture or 1000 words? I think based on the above, it’s obvious that for me it’s 1000 words. But I want to explain why it could be a picture too.

For some reason, my friends always end up discovering a passion for photography. One has even moved to San Francisco and has been featured in magazines. There is so much to worry about with photography, in my opinion. The lighting, the contrast and the saturation all have to be perfect to capture exactly what’s intended. But what I find most interesting is how photos have the ability to convey emotion.

What I’ve learned from my photography friends is that a good photo makes you feel something. It leaves a mark. I can see that in the sense of how old photos bring on the feeling of nostalgia. But even some current pictures, pictures I may take today for my Instagram, will one day remind me of a time in the past when I was happy, celebrating or free.

That’s the best thing about photos. People take pictures during their best times. During sad, dark, or fearful moments, most people don’t pull out their camera to take a photo, although there may be some exceptions. They take them when they feel most confident, most happy. Pictures allow others to see what is most important in a person’s life because we take pictures of things that we find meaningful, of moments we don’t want to forget. There are stories in pictures. And while it may mean more to one person, it may convey more feeling for another.

Words are more straightforward, I think. They are more universal. They either mean something or they don’t. Like pictures, they are open to interpretation. They may strike a chord with certain people, and they may make others cry. But words are not stuck in the past. They can encourage for the future or clarify the present. They can relate to everyone and anyone, not only those in a picture. Words are timeless, which cannot be said about most things. For me, words are more valuable because they are explicit.

They can contain details and stories and specifics that may otherwise not be known if you were simply looking at a picture. They can be used anywhere; they can be used without needing anything. Words can be the greatest weapon, while pictures are only a shield.

Now, I don’t have anything against pictures. Pictures show things for what they truly are. And perhaps that is their advantage over words. They are transparent; they can’t lie. Words can be manipulated and can be used to manipulate other people. They can be used in such a way that can promote falsehoods. They aren’t trustworthy. While pictures simply are. Pictures hold the truth. They expose your imperfections and cannot be changed to your desire. They tell things how they are and cannot be manipulated in the same way.

In my life, words have played such a big part. They have helped me through troublesome and lonely times. They allowed me to express myself during my best times, and through my darkest times. Words can truly transport you to another world, in both books and in stories. They helped me say the things I would never have the ability to say out loud. They remind me of my mother. They remind me of my childhood. For me, words will forever be more valuable than pictures.

Read other articles by Angela (Tongohan) Guiano


A blank canvas

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

I don’t believe that you can compare what can be shown in a photo and what can be described through the written word. They have the ability to complement each other, but the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" doesn’t necessarily ring true with me.

The are benefits of a picture that you could not begin to explain in words. When portraying emotions, or the human perception of beauty, or viewing something one might find disturbing, no words could describe those elements with the justice they deserve. An example I can think of is ‘V-J Day in Times Square.’ This is a photo I am certain everyone has seen before. The emotions and spontaneity of the events in the photo are perfectly captured in this photograph and would not be better described through speech or writing.

Another photo that shows what words cannot is the photo of Phan Th Kim Phúc, also known as the Napalm girl. This was a photo taken in June, 1972 near a village occupied by North Vietnam forces. South Vietnam soldiers dropped a napalm bomb in this village, leading Kim Phúc, only nine years old, and other civilians to flee. The photo is captured as Kim Phúc is running down the road, naked and crying, alongside the others. The emotions and disturbing nature of this photo is something that could not be reciprocated through words. It’s something one needs to view to feel what is meant to be felt.

The same would go for a breathtaking view. Not even the greatest author could describe the colors of a sunset or the way all the shadows in a forest fall in a way that would give the same ambiance as seeing it. No one can describe where each star is in a night sky and all else that lingers in the air. When the visual sense is so strong, a photo would be appropriate.

A photo alone however, isn’t left without its flaws. Photos can be taken completely out of context with no information. Photos cannot hold the information of 1000 words, and more than 1000 words can hold all the emotions and beauty that a photo does.

"Seeing is believing," people often say, but these days, people believe what they want to believe. If a photo shows something they don’t want to believe they will formulate a reasoning (whether that be true or untrue) for why what is shown is false. If someone wants to believe the testimony of others through the written word, they will, and if not, they won’t. If a quality author is writing, there is no limits on what can be said.

Sight is not the only sense, however, that humans possess. In a photo, it is impossible to describe taste, touch, sounds, or smells, or even that gut feeling you get when something is wrong. The eeriness of the fog that hangs over a field, and the overwhelming smell of ocean mist on the beach in the winter cannot be described through a simple, still photo. The same goes for the sound of vultures circling above, rustling of trees, or the cracking of the pine needles on the fire on a night which has temperatures well below zero and your fingers feel like they are about to snap right off.

When reading a story, and when fully immersing yourself into that story with no distractions, the reader can create that picture in his or her mind with overwhelming detail, as the brain is capable of such things. The same is not true of a picture. When looking at a photo, the viewer can make any assumptions they want about that photo, but unless they were present when it was captured, there is no way to know if the information they gathered is true, or they are being deceived.

Even if a story is being read to you, you can close your eyes and imagine what is happening word by word. We can put ourselves right there in the story to understand how our characters feel to the best of our ability.

As a writer myself, something that I try to keep in mind whenever I start something new is that a blank page is like an empty canvas, but with even more potential (as far as my talents go at the very least). When writing, there are absolutely no limitations of what could make it on that page. I could write about anything I could possibly conceive and bring it to life through the limited vocabulary our language (or any other language I may be knowledgeable of) has.

I could write about the most beautiful moment of my life, or of an entire fantasized event that has no possibility of occurring. I could write the most hateful words and disturbing messages and they would hold power. Words, most of the time, can tell stories in greater detail than photos can because they are not limited to sight, but can describe visuals in a way that brings them to life.

Words can describe emotions in a different way than photos. There isn’t an easy way to take a photo that portrays how much you love a person. It is more beneficial to write them a letter and pour your heart and soul into your words. You can describe that warm, fluttery feeling you get in your stomach and the way you heart stops every time you see them.

There are truly no limits set to what you can put on a blank page. A white canvas could be filled with any amount of colors with no limitations. Photos and words are certainly not interchangeable and they are both great ways to communicate certain messages. They complement each other but can also stand alone, given the right circumstances. A picture is not worth 1000 words, yet 1000 words isn’t worth a picture either. They hold their own.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney


In the beginning was the Word

Shea Rowell
MSMU Class of 2019

In the first novel she ever wrote, Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen allows her narrator a bit of a soapbox moment. She addresses those who claim that reading literature is a waste of time: "It is only a novel..." she writes, "or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language." From the perspective of an English major studying Austen’s novels, this quotation fills me with joy each time I read it, because it beautifully captures the power of the written word, which I have always believed in.

It may sound old-fashioned, and perhaps it is, but the written word carries history’s weight as the most versatile and effective form of human communication. Our nation’s existence owes itself to the written word: the Federalist papers that rallied the colonies behind the idea of unification against the British Empire, and the Declaration of Independence which initiated our fight for freedom; the Emancipation Proclamation which freed American men, women, and children from their bondage in slavery; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and his iconic, "I have a dream" speech that changed the hearts of many Americans, black and white, in support of a better nation for us all.

Even in a town as small as Emmitsburg, it is the written word that preserves its history: past, present, and future. It is the letters in the hand writing of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. John DuBois that display the over two-hundred-year-old story of Mount St. Mary’s University, St. Joseph’s College, the Sisters of St. Joseph, and the Sisters, now Daughters, of Charity. It is the old copies of the Emmitsburg Chronicle that remind us where we came from as a town; that document the daily lives, losses, and gains of Emmitsburg residents.

This is why historians and scholars mourn for the lost libraries of history, the books burned by world upheavals such as the treasures of the Library of Alexandria, the destruction of monasteries following the Protestant Reformation, and ancient religious texts following imperial conquests and transfers of military force. Language is power, which is why the powers of history have always been wary of dissenting words, why censorship is so central to the success of a repressive regime, and why free speech is such a threat to those whose power depends on fear.

Today, we live in a culture of images. A picture is worth a thousand words, or so they say. They catch our attention, attract our eyes, flood our minds through the screens of our televisions, computers, and phones. Images, of course, are effective communicators. They give us symbols we can recognize anywhere, allow us to share visual realities and provide access to parts of the world we may never see ourselves.

Images are particularly apt at creating beauty to please the eye. In this way, the image stands alone. When it comes to communication, however, a picture cannot exist without words to explain it, make sense of it, or guide its interpretation. A newspaper or magazine photo is nearly always accompanied by a caption and an article to give it context; even social media photos are incomplete without their captions, and the proceeding comment-section conversation. Words, however, can stand alone. Novels, articles, and social media posts are complete without a photo alongside them. Words, like images, can create beauty on their own as well. Fiction stories create elaborate worlds, characters, and plotlines. Poets create images of beauty, spirituality, and potency. The image creates beauty for the eye: the word for the imagination.

Language is the human mind’s greatest achievement; it is part of what makes us more than animals on an arbitrary evolutionary timeline. Humans not only feel, they express their feelings. They not only reflect and discover, but record and preserve their findings for the benefit of posterity. Language is an essential component of who we are as human beings, as members of communities, and as individuals. The languages we speak, the words we choose, and even the stylistic variations we employ reveal our personalities, preferences and quirks. When you write, you reveal yourself to the world.

One of my favorite literary examples of the centrality of words to the human person is from a sermon by the Anglican priest and poet, John Donne. In Meditation XVII, he compares the contents of the human soul to the contents of a book. He writes that "all mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another." To create, God speaks. "God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). His creation, then, is like his work of literature, in which each creature is the protagonist of his or her own story.

This metaphor rings true in many religious contexts. In Christianity, our Messiah is the incarnate Word of God. In Judaism, the most sacred and central treasure is the Tanakh, the Word and law of God. Likewise in Islam, the Qur’an cannot be handled with unwashed hands, or translated into other languages. In all three of the Abrahamic religions, the Word of God is sacred, central, and without it the religion is void. The written word is intimately linked with the human soul; it forms the link between the human and the divine. We were made in His image; we were made with His words.

Read other articles by Shea Rowell

Read Past Editions of Four Years at the Mount