Écouter, oser, aimer — tout est là.
To listen, to dare, to love — that is everything.
In the spring of 2018, I sought a phrase to put on my cap for my high school graduation. I had studied abroad in France the previous summer, and I would be majoring in French and Francophone Studies at Syracuse University the coming fall. I went through my mental archive of French authors. Victor Hugo, what did he have to say?
« Savoir, penser, rêver. Tout est là. »
To know, to think, to dream. That is everything.
This guiding phrase of Hugo’s Les Rayons et les Ombres spoke to me at that stage in my life, and articulated its meaning in my mind as a call to study and reflect, to think critically and innovate, to imagine and be open to possibility. That mentality prepared me to be a true believer in a liberal arts education during my college years.
My course of study was only made possible by SU’s Coronat Scholarship, a full-tuition merit scholarship awarded to 14 students in my year, that I will forever be grateful for. The program’s support allowed me to attend the university and the communications program at the top of my list, and granted me the freedom to explore with greater breadth the expanse of my intellectual curiosity. As I pursued tracks in Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism as well as French, courses in SU’s honors program introduced me to Indigenous Knowledges and to queer theories, both of which moved me as they transformed my outlook on and approach to the world.
Spring of 2022 brought the moment to design another cap. I built its structure on the past, but this time I authored my own three verbs, my own guiding phrase.
Listen. As a journalist, my knowledge, my awareness, my power to empower, stems from taking the time to hear others. To listen to what the humans around me, the environment around us, and everything in-between or beyond have to say. A practice of conscientious listening to others and to myself grounds me — in each conversation, in each endeavor.
Dare. Tell those stories. Confront injustice and ignorance. Overcome the challenge of translating our chaotic culture and muddled everyday lives into content with impact. Have the courage to push the boundaries of my comfort zone and those of my audience. Be bold in publishing information that needs to be heard, and in innovating the means and standards through which we communicate and share our work.
Love. Allow the world to astound and inspire. Seek beauty and joy, and recognize the profound in their juxtaposition with sorrow and suffering. Do everything from a place of care, and navigate with sensitivity and empathy for others and our surroundings. Accept and appreciate the ethic of relationship, responsibility, and reciprocity needed to rebuild trust in journalism locally and nationwide.
To listen, to dare, to love — that is everything.
Amanda Paule, 19 May 2022
