does your voice matter essay

The Power of Using your voice

A voice is a tool that transports us into the future. A future that has more possibilities and more solutions. A voice is a tool that can be used for standing up for what is right, rather than what is easy. A voice gives your opinions a platform, and gifts you with the opportunity to have perspective and knowledge on things that matter. No two voices are the same, each voice has something different to say. And in a world that needs to represent freedom and democracy, a voice is a powerful symbol of this. It is what has allowed people to protest injustice, to sing for freedom, or simply speak the truth. A voice can be a source of hope in difficult times.

Using your voice for the truth is important to create a better world. Everyone’s voice matters. It is important to not let yourself become silenced, because when a voice is not used it prevents the opportunity for a true democracy where each voice is valued in a peaceful manner. Voices convey passion and excitement; voices can convey anything, whether it’s a feeling, a place, or an idea. In a way, voices are a superpower if you know how to use it.

Voices can be used to create change. People can take anything material from you, but your voice is one of the things that cannot be taken away. Voices are meant to encourage other voices too, to unite and support each other.  One of the most powerful things someone can do is to use their voice. 

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Why your voice matters

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”  –James Baldwin

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once denounced the “myth of time,” the myth that progress is achieved by the passage of time, instead of by the effort of citizens. He refuted the people who said “not now,” or “wait your turn,” or “it’s too soon.” He knew that the long arc of history bends towards justice , but that a just society is impossible without the lasting efforts of its citizens.

There is a long history documenting this lasting effort. Angela Davis, Henry George and James Baldwin are examples of regular people who decided that they were sick and tired of being sick and tired. They were tired of seeing one injustice after another, tired of seeing their fellow humans downtrodden and oppressed, tired of the slow pace of change.

Sound familiar? Are we not today constantly inundated with reports of mosques burned, of young unarmed black men shot down for walking down the street or suffocated for selling loose cigarettes? Are we not sick and tired of seeing 40 million Americans living in poverty? Does it not tear at our souls watching young undocumented Dreamers be afraid every day that they might be taken away from the only country they call home?

People often respond to this overwhelming stream of problems in a few ways. They say “I can’t” and turn off the news. Or they feel compelled to act, but they channel their outrage into a hashtag on Twitter or a choice picture on Instagram accompanied with a lengthy condemnation in the caption. Or, like Dr. King, they take real, concrete action. They choose to actively participate in change.

And it is indeed a choice. Inaction is still action. Ignorance is not an excuse. We are each faced with a choice, every day — to act or not to act. And so many of us choose not to act because:

1) we see the machinations of our government as abstract and separate from our everyday lives,

2) we feel that our individual capacity for impact is insignificant, and

3) we think the costs of participating are not worth the rewards.

But here’s the bottom line: Policy and politics matter because they affect you . Everything your city councilmember, state senator or Congress member does affect you, your family or your friends. Palo Alto can either encourage housing development or suppress it, either giving you an affordable home or keeping up your property value. California can push through SB 562 (single-payer health care), which will have enormous benefits for the uninsured and likely staggering consequences for taxpayers , which includes all of us. The federal government can defund Planned Parenthood or increase interest rates on student loans.

Everything they do affects you.

However, the good news is that your voice matters. You have an enormous capacity for change regardless of your career, status or ideology. Take the recent Exide lead contamination disaster in southeast Los Angeles, for example. For decades, Exide’s battery recycling plant had been contaminating homes in the surrounding cities with lead, spurred on by the incompetence and inaction of state regulators. They racked up dozens of violations throughout the years but still continued to operate. Exide’s operations threatened the lives of an estimated 100,000 people and affected more than 10,000 homes in my community.

It wasn’t until ordinary people, people who go to work, who go to school, people like you and me, organized their community and fought for their right to breathe clean air and to live free from the deadly effects of lead, that Exide’s plant was finally forced to shut down.

Ordinary people rallied together and made something happen. They realized that when no one is willing to be the first to stand up, you have to stand up. When they understood that bad policy was poisoning their children with lead, they decided to stand up and do something about it. They made change happen.

See, the long arc of history may bend towards justice, but change comes from the choices we make every day. You don’t have to be a Baldwin, or a King, or a Davis. You don’t have to devote your life to these social and political causes. But you need to choose to act. You need to get involved, because policy shapes, skewers, uplifts and can destroy your life. You need to be active, because your voice legitimately matters. You have a capacity for impact. And if you’re not engaged, then someone else will be, and they might not have your best interests in mind.

If you care about the poor, choose to act. If you care about the environment, choose to act. If you care about healthcare, choose to act. It’s not a collective action problem if you understand that the consequences of inaction will have a detrimental effect on your own life, or on the lives of your family or friends. No information cost is too high when the cost of inaction is not having housing, or not having clean air to breathe, or not having access to healthcare.

Democracy is driven by those who participate. So, participate, or risk living with policies that aren’t best for you. You have two choices, always: to act or not to act. Choose.

Contact Ryan Kang at ryankang ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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33 Why Your Voice is the Most Important Part of Your Speech: If They Can’t Hear You It is Only a Frustrating Exercise in Lip Reading

There is no such thing as presentation talent, it is called presentation skills. -David JP Phillips, author of How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint 

Why Your Voice is the Most Important Part of Your Speech

The most important part of your delivery has to be your voice. You are not an actor in a silent film, a mime in a skit, nor a person giving lessons on lip reading. You are a presenter giving a speech.  If they can’t hear you and they can’t understand your words, then you have failed. Like any other skill, strengthening your voice takes practice, but it is time well spent. This chapter gives you reasons for why you should develop your voice and includes activities and videos to help you improve your voice.

First things first. Let’s talk about why it is important to work on your voice. If you have an attractive voice, people tend to attribute other positive characteristics to you. Research highlights that those with attractive voices are believed to be warmer, more likable, and more honest. Those with confident voices are believed to be more dominant and are perceived to be higher achievers. Strengthening your voice can help you with your speech, but it can also help you in other parts of your life. A strong voice will help you in your job interview, in meetings, and in interpersonal relationships.

This chapter is mostly made of exercises for you to try to strengthen your voice. Reading the activities will not help you, doing the activities will. As with all skills, you won’t necessarily improve with one try, it takes practice.

Warm Up Your Voice

Do a five-minute vocal warm-up.

• Loosen up and shush: Loosen up your upper body, take a deep belly breath and then say shhhh
• Tongue Trills: Descending and ascending
• Hum it Up: Hum up and hum down
• Chant: Meem, Mime, Mohm, Moom
•  Pronounce: Ma, Pa, Ta

TRY IT: Watch the video below to learn how to warm up your voice using these five steps.

Work on Clearly Articulating Words

Articulation refers to the clarity of the sounds you produce. The opposite of articulation is mumbling. Try putting a pencil in your mouth horizontally and then read your textbook out loud working on keeping your lips off of your teeth to exaggerate the sounds.

Another way to work on articulation is to do the practice drills. Here are some suggestions from Communication in the Real World .

• Say “Red Rover” ten times, overenunciating each  r .
• Say “Wilbur” ten times, overenunciating the  w  and  r .
• Say “Bumblebee” ten times, enunciating each  b .
• Say “Red-letter, yellow-letter” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Selfish shellfish” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Unique New York” five times, enunciating the  q  and  k . (To really up the challenge, try saying, “You need, unique, New York.”)

Bring Your Voice Up Front

Bring your voice from the back of your throat to inside your mouth. Practice bringing your voice forward by trying this exercise.

Say the words “coal, coal, coal.”

Now, do it again. Say the words “coal, coal, coal” as you hold one hand in front of your mouth and feel the air pushing out on your hand.  Do it several times to feel the air. Now say the words “coal, coal, coal,” but this time let it drop to the back of your throat. Notice that the air is no longer pushing on your hand.

When people have strong, energetic voices, they have their voices upfront.  When people are tired, weak, or unenergetic, they have their voices in the back of their throats. As speakers, we want to have strong energetic voices.

Now you understand what we are trying to do. Try it one more time each way: “coal, coal, coal.” This time, don’t just feel for the air difference, but also listen for the difference in sound.

Practice Regularly

When I first started doing public speaking, I practiced by reading out loud. I can remember reading the book Jaws to my sister every night before bed. I would walk around the room with the book in my hand and in my best clearly articulated, well-projected voice, I would read:

The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail. The mouth was open just enough to permit a rush of water over the gills. There was little other motion: an occasional correction of the apparently aimless course by the slight raising or lowering of a pectoral fin—as a bird changes direction by dipping one wing and lifting the other.

It is not enough to want to get better; you have to practice.  Poet Laurette Amanda Gorman struggled with speech articulation throughout her life particularly struggling with Rs and Sh’s. It took practice to have the strong voice that she uses today.  

Watch this short video and notice how she clearly articulates each word. At age 22, she is the first poet to perform at a Superbowl.

Click this link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejbSCjg2qo to watch (Embedding is disabled so you have to watch it on YouTube)

Practice These Phrases

Once you have your voice warmed up, voice coach Graham Williamson suggests you practice these phrases. As you speak them, try to keep an even tone and pace as if you were speaking one long word with no break in between.

1.    Many men munch many melons. 2.    Mandy made marinade in May. 3.    Major Mickey’s malt makes me merry. 4.    My mom’s marvelous modern manicure. 5.    Mervin Maclean’s mess marred my marmalade.

Magnify Your Voice

Having a strong, clear voice is important for speechmaking. The best way to learn to amplify your voice is with practice. Amplify doesn’t mean to scream, it means to use the force of your breath and the amplification provided in your mouth to make the sounds strong and clear.

Try talking to your furniture. Right now, look at a chair that you can see and say, “Hello chair.” Imagine seeing your words as rays of light traveling to the chair. Now, look out of a window or a door and see an object farther away and try it again. For example, I may look out the window and say, “Hello tree” and imagine my words traveling to the tree. Try this for various objects at varying distances.

Arguably you may feel silly doing this but trust the process and give it a try. Practice with things inside your room and outside your window. Feel the air and notice the difference.

Practice-Changing Your Volume

To practice changing the volume of your voice, Williamson suggests counting exercises. Try to do it in one breath.

1.    Count and gradually increase the loudness. 2.    Count and gradually decrease the loudness. 3.    Count and increase the loudness on every 2nd number. 4.    … on every 3rd number. 5.    … on every 4th number. 6.    … on every 5th number. The monotonous speaker not only drones along in the same volume and pitch of tone but always uses the same emphasis, the same speed, the same thoughts—or dispenses with thought altogether. Monotony: the cardinal and most common sin of the public speaker. J. Berg Esenwein, The Art of Public Speaking  

Yawn to Open Up

• Yawn a couple of times really big. Feel the back of your throat open when you are yawning.
• Now try a big yawn, as you exhale close your mouth, let out a sigh. The goal is to open your throat.
• Focus on the back of your throat opening up. Now yawn right before taking a big breath to open up the back of your throat. Relax your larynx and your head and neck muscles.

TRY IT: Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions. (Turn up your volume, the video is very quiet).

Exercise Your Vocal Folds

• Grab a straw and prepare to try this technique.
• Put the straw in your mouth, pinch your nose, and hum.

TRY IT: Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions.

Watch the video and notice how he uses pauses to give the audience time to laugh. He also uses pauses to give the audience time to anticipate what he is going to say next. In those pauses, you can tell that the audience has guessed what is going to happen by their gasps, laughs, and sighs. One person even says, “Oh, no!”

Joy is a concept that is very hard to pin down, but you know it when you see it. And I saw the joy in the eyes of my roommate. The dude is clearly excited about something.  

Advanced Vocal Training

All the activities above are for all speakers. For those of you who want to take your vocal training to the next level, watch this video to find your natural range. She references a piano keypad, so I made one available for you.

You can download a virtual piano keyboard here:  https://www.onlinepianist.com/virtual-piano

Speak With Power

Avoid uptalk.

Uptalk is where the voice goes up at the end of sentences.  To many listeners, uptalk makes the speaker sound uncertain, insecure, and annoying.  Within other circles (groups of uptalkers), the use of uptalk may signal that the speaker is “one of us.”  UK Publisher, Pearson, interviewed 700 managers on the use of uptalk and this is what they found:

• 85% thought it was a “clear indicator of insecurity.” 
• 70% found uptalk annoying.
• Of those, 50% said that uptalk would hinder the prospect of employees and interviewers.
• 44% stated that they would mark down applicants with uptalk by as much as a third.

The evidence is clear that in professional circles, uptalk can hurt your credibility. Record yourself while giving a speech and listen for uptalk. Start being aware of when you do it in everyday speech.

Avoid Filled Pauses

Um, uh, ok, like, ya know. All of these happen to even the best speakers, but they are distracting. According to one study, recording yourself and listening to your speech is one way to reduce ums. Another trick is to replace the filler word with the word “period” or “pause” in your everyday speech to help your filler awareness.

Why do we use filler words? We use filler words because we are afraid of silence and pauses. As an advanced speaker, you should begin to think of pauses as a purposeful thing you do for emphasis. Eliminating those “ums” will make you sound more organized and confident.

Public speaking instructor Cathy Hollingsworth emphasizes that speeches need to “start with real words” (not ok, um, or so). In her classes, she even gives students a do-over and allows them to restart if they begin with a filler (but only if they catch it themselves).

Watch this fun slam poem by the teacher and poet Taylor Mali on that trouble with filler words.

Occupational Voice Users Often Abuse Their Voices.

When people think about occupational hazards, few people immediately think of voice damage but studies highlight that occupational voice users are at risk. Teachers, preachers, singers, actors, and coaches are all considered high-risk categories. Their voice damage can cause pain, it can reduce their effectiveness at their jobs, and can even result in loss of income. In 2001, it is estimated that 28 million workers experienced voice problems every day.  One in three teachers reports a financial loss due to voice problems. “School teachers report problems with their voices 60% of the time in their lifetime and 11% at any given time”, according to the Cleveland Clinic.   It may be no surprise that some coaches do a lot of yelling. In a survey of 500 soccer coaches, 28% reported having vocal symptoms such as coughing and hoarseness. Pastors are another group who often experience vocal abuse. Fifty-seven percent of Seventh-Day Adventists pastors who were studied experienced voice clearing and hoarseness. Even though Catholic and Pentecostal pastors use their voices differently, there was no significant difference in groups in terms of hoarseness, and 14% of those pastors studied reported the hoarseness did not clear completely and hindered work life. In summary, for many professionals, their voice is the tool of their trade and it becomes an occupational hazard to abuse their voice. 

What Occupations Experience Voice Disorders?

• Sports coaches
• Radio broadcasters
• Wind instrumentalists
• Business professional
• Fitness instructors
• Cycling instructors
• Telemarketers
• Customer service representatives
• Tour guides
• Music teachers

Unless you are a musician, actor, or speech professional, you may not have thought about how important it is to protect your voice. Everyone should protect their voice–it is precious. Learning to use your voice safely and in a confident manner can benefit you not just in your speech life. In the words of Jen Mueller, American television and radio sports broadcast journalist, “The only way you find your voice is to use it.” Now is your time to find it and use it!

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• Having a strong voice can help you as a speaker, but it can also help you professionally.
• Do vocal exercises to improve the strength of your voice.
• Using proper air control helps your voice.
• Avoid vocal fillers and uptalk.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Focus on varying your voice.

There are many factors in your voice you should consider when making a speech.

Watch the video below for examples of each of these.

It only takes one voice,  at the right pitch to start an avalanche. Dianna Hardy International Bestselling Author

Anderson, C. (2016). TED Talks: The official TED guide to public speaking.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Barge, J.K. Schlueter, D. W. & Pritchard, A. (2010). The effects of nonverbal communication and gender on impression formation in opening statements. Southern Communication Journal 54 (4). https://doi.org/10.1080/10417948909372766

Benchley, P. (1974). Jaws. Ballantine Books.

Berry, D. (1990). Accuracy in social perception: Contributions of facial and vocal information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 298-307. https://doi.org/ 10.1037//0022-3514.61.2.298

Buchan, V. (1991). Make presentations with confidence. Barron’s A Business Success Guide. Barron’s Educational Series.

Burgoon, J. K. , &  Hale, J. L.   (  1988  ).  Nonverbal expectancy violations: Model elaboration and application to immediacy behaviors .  Communication Monographs , 55, 58  –  79 . https://doi.org/   10.1080/03637758809376158   

Byeon H. (2019). The risk factors related to voice disorder in teachers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health ,  16 (19), 3675. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193675

Cannon, J. (2019). Public speaking tips: Use a straw by Jimmy Canonn voice coach. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zUCkRfXamM Standard YouTube License.

Carpenter, C.J. (2012). A metanalysis and an experiment investigating the effects of speaker disfluency on persuasion. Western Journal of Communication, 76 (5). https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2012.662307

Childs, L. (2016). Voice care: Sorting fact from fiction. UT Southwestern Medical Center. https://utswmed.org/medblog/vocal-cords-care-qa/

Christenfeld, N., & Creager, B. (1996). Anxiety, alcohol, aphasia, and ums.  Journal of personality and social psychology, 70 (3) , 451-60. https://doi.org/ 10.1037//0022-3514.70.3.451

Clements, P. (2013). Five-minute vocal warm-up for actors and public speaking by Page Clements. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eub7MzfsbdM Standard YouTube License.

Cleveland Clinic. (2020). Ten ways to keep your voice healthy and strong. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/10-ways-to-save-your-voice/

Daily Mail.  (2014). Want a promotion? Don’t speak like an Aussie: Rising in pitch at the end of sentences makes you sound ‘insecure’ Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2538554/Want-promotion-Dont-speak-like-AUSSIE-Rising-pitch-end-sentences-make-sound-insecure.html

Engstrom, E.   (  1994  ).  Effects of nonfluencies on speaker’s credibility in newscast settings .  Perceptual and Motor Skills , 78, 793  –  743 . https://doi.org/ 10.2466/pms.1994.78.3.739

Esenwein, J.B. & Carnagie, D. (2015). The art of public speaking. The home correspondence school.  https://library.um.edu.mo/ebooks/b17773544.pdf

Fellman, D., & Simberg, S. (2017). Prevalence and risk factors for voice problems among soccer coaches. Journal of Voice: Official Journal of the Voice Foundation ,  31 (1), 121.e9–121.e15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.02.003

Gorman, A. (2021). Amanda Gorman Performs at SuperBowl LV. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8PxYIlEGMo Standard YouTube License.

Ibekwe, M.U. (2019). Hoarseness among preachers in Port Harcourt Metropolis. Otolaryngology Online Journal, 9 , 25-32. (no doi).

Lyon, A. (2017). What is uptalk? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEfMwri22SM Standard YouTube License.

Mali, T. (2012). Speak with conviction typology poem by Taylor Mali. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp9Hb8LAgqs Standard YouTube License. 

Martins, R. H., Pereira, E. R., Hidalgo, C. B., & Tavares, E. L. (2014). Voice disorders in teachers. A review. Journal of Voice: Official Journal of the Voice Foundation ,  28 (6), 716–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.02.008

Miller, G. R. , &  Hewgill, M. A.   (  1963  ).  The effect of variations in nonfluency on audience ratings of source credibility .  Quarterly Journal of Speech , 94, 36  –  44 . https://doi.org/10.1080/00335636409382644

Montes , C.C.,  Heinicke , M.R,  Guendulain , M.A., &  Morales, E. . (2020) A component analysis of awareness training for reducing speech disfluencies.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 76. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.795

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse. (2021) Taking care of your voice. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/taking-care-your-voice

Neto, F. & Silva, I. & Madeira, A. & Menezes, C. & Goncalves, L. & Navarro, L. (2009). Analysis of the vocal health of the preachers of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches. International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology. 13.

Phyland, D., & Miles, A. (2019). Occupational voice is a work in progress: active risk management, habilitation, and rehabilitation. Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery ,  27 (6), 439–447. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOO.0000000000000584

Jeffers, J. M., & Underwood, G. D. (1993). Enhancing presentation dynamics through voice projection.  The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,  24 (5), 234-237.  https://doi.org/10.3928/0022-0124-19930901-11

Ramasubamanian, A. (2019). The Moth presents Ashok Ramasubamanian. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MvyPn0FFPio Standard YouTube License. 

Sereno, K. K. , &  Hawkins, G. J.   (  1967  ).  The effects of variations in speakers’ nonfluency upon audience ratings of attitude toward the speech topic and speakers’ credibility .  Speech Monographs , 34, 58  –  64 . https://doi.org/ 10.1080/03637756709375520   

Shellenbarger, S. (2013). Is this how you really talk? Your voice affects others’ perceptions; Silencing the screech in the next cubicle. Wall Street Journal. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323735604578440851083674898

Szymanowskl, A. R., Borst, K. S., & Sataloff, R. T. (2014). Voice disorders in teachers: Examining the problem and evaluating prevention.  Journal of Singing – the Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing,  71 (2), 201-206.

Tate, A.S. (2021). Here’s what poet Amanda Gorman says about her speech and auditory issues: The only thing that can impose my is myself. Today. https://www.today.com/parents/poet-amanda-gorman-has-speech-auditory-processing-issues-t206441

Toastmasters (2011). Your speaking voice. https://toastmasterscdn.azureedge.net/medias/files/department-documents/education-documents/199-your-speaking-voice.pdf

Tomlinson, J. M. Jr., Fox Tree, J. E. (2011). Listeners’ comprehension of uptalk in spontaneous speech. Cognition 119 (1), 58–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.005

The University of Minnesota. Communication in the real world. Creative Commons Open Resource Textbook. https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/

Treasure, J. (2013). How to Speak so That People Want To Listen by Julliane Treasure. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen Standard YouTube License.

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Van Edwards, V. (2017). Can you make your voice sound better? The Science of Vocal Power. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9wvu4ukcOM Standard YouTube License.

Van Edwards, V. (2019). Five vocal warm-up exercises before meetings, speeches, and presentations by Vanessa Van Edwards. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDcHZZn7hU Standard YouTube License.

Verdolini, K., & Ramig, L. O. (2001). Review: occupational risks for voice problems.  Logopedics, phoniatrics, vocology ,  26 (1), 37–46.

Warren, P. (2016). Uptalk- The phenomenon of rising intonation. Cambridge University Press.

Williamson, G. (2014). Voice projection exercises https://www.sltinfo.com/voice-projection-exercises/.

Weitzberg, E., & Lundberg, J. O. (2002). Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide.  American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine ,  166 (2), 144–145. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC

Zuckerman, M.  and Driver, R.E.  (1989). What sounds beautiful is good. The vocal attractiveness stereotype. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 13, 67-82. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990791

Zuckerman, M.  Hodgins, H. and Miyake, K. (1990). The vocal attractiveness stereotype: Replication and elaboration.   Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 14 , 97-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670437

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Writing Resources

Voice and analysis in your essay, the tour guide approach.

This handout is available for download in DOCX format and PDF format .

Several people have asked me what I mean when I ask for more VOICE in your essay. This is a great question, and it gets to the heart of what analysis looks like in a research paper. The goal of a research paper is to use the literature (your research) to support your own unique argument. This is different from a literature review, which simply reviews what others have said about a topic. In a research paper, there is some literature review, typically towards the beginning, but the larger goal is to DO SOMETHING with this literature to show your own take on the topic . This is analysis and it is what gives voice to your essay. One way to think about voice is to see yourself as the TOUR GUIDE of your essay.

Imagine a tour of a city. The guide's job is to take people from place to place, showing them things that make the city special. A mediocre guide might just say, "This is Westminster Abbey," "This is Big Ben," etc. They might provide facts, such as who is buried at Westminster Abbey, but they don't put any of the information in context. You might as well do a self-guided tour. This is the equivalent of a literature review: you describe all of the studies and theories, but you don't tell the reader what to do with this new knowledge. The EVIDENCE is there, but the ANALYSIS is missing.

On the other hand, a good tour guide doesn't just show you the buildings. Instead, they tell you about how these monuments reflect the history and culture of the city. They put the buildings into context to tell a story and give you a sense of place, time, purpose, etc. This is the equivalent of a good research paper. It takes evidence (data, observations, theories) and does something with it to communicate a new angle to your reader. It argues something, using the literature as a foundation on which to build the new, original argument.

Good tour guides (writers) insert their voice often. The voice can be heard in topic sentences , where the writer tells the reader how the paragraph fits into the larger argument (i.e., how it connects to the thesis). The voice can be heard in the analysis in the paragraphs as the writer tells the reader what has been learned and what it means for the larger argument. The voice often gets stronger as the essay progresses—especially since earlier paragraphs often contain more background information and later paragraphs are more likely to contain argument built on that background information. A good tour guide also:

• Doesn't tell the reader things they already know
• Doesn't over-explain or provide unnecessary detail
• Doesn't rush— if they move too fast, their tour won't be able to keep up
• Keeps things interesting (doesn't visit boring sites!)
• Keeps things organized (no backtracking to sites they've already visited)

How to use this in your writing:

Analysis is any moment in which you tell the reader your interpretation, how ideas fit together, why something matters, etc. It is when your voice comes through, as opposed to the authors of the articles you cite.

What might analysis / tour guiding look like in a research essay?

• Critique of the literature (methodological flaws, different interpretations of findings, etc.)
• Resolution of contradictory evidence
• Analysis of differing theories (in light of the evidence)
• Incorporation of various lenses, e.g., cultural or societal influences, cross-cultural similarities or differences, etc.
• Historical changes
• Fusion of literature or topics that are not obviously related
• Transitional language that connects pieces of the argument

Credit: Elissa Jacobs, University Writing Program

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Why Does “MY” Voice Matter?

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Too often teachers exclaim, “I’m JUST a classroom teacher; why does MY voice EVEN matter?”

And the simple answer is because it does.

Each one of us has a unique perspective that carries with it experience and learning that begs to be shared.

By nature, teachers want to give but often put themselves in a position where their own voices are drowned out by those around them:

It can be the bellowing sound of student voice (which is certainly important.) And when we advocate for student voice, we are often putting ourselves in the position to mute our own story, somehow suggesting a lack of importance. Perhaps one way to give our students more voice is speak for them in our adult spaces, providing them opportunities to authentically share and model what that can look like by doing it first.

It can be the voice of our administrators telling us to hush up with the many initiatives that are implemented. Although they never directly say don’t speak up, the suggestion of such is more than just a quiet effort. The message of the school (which is also certainly important), seems to be more salient than the individual teacher. After all, we are better together.

Arguably, the mosaic of individual voices are the fabric of these communities which then becomes the fabric of the American educational system. Every teacher has an important obligation to be a part of this thread, sharing the joys, successes, challenges and failures of his/her independent learning environments. Inviting others to share, and connect making what we do an elaborate collaborative effort rather than an isolated challenge.

Here are some ways we can get our voices heard:

• Not on Twitter ? Sign up now! If you need help, email me directly and I’ll help you. Being on Twitter is a way to connect with other educators and quickly share, and gather amazing resources. Twitter is one way to get your story heard in short tidbits at your convenience. Jump on a chat for more specific resources and sharing.
• Afraid to blog? Share your voice on a blog. There are a lot of ways to blog now, for free or for the more advanced on paid platforms, but all can start. You don’t need to be a writer to blog (so if that’s what’s stopping you, don’t let it!), you just need a story.
• Don’t like to write, then use video. You can share your voice on apps like Periscope and YouTube. Make short videos where you communicate with viewers about your experience.
• Not comfortable with video, why not use photos? Apps like Instagram can be a great way to share your story with others using images and captions. This way you’re telling your classroom’s story through images. If your students are younger, consider taking pictures from the back or just of their work. For older students, make sure students sign media waivers.
• Social media isn’t the only way to share your story. Consider speaking at conferences or even in at your own school’s PD and collaborate with colleagues to tell your story.

The same way your students may have reasons for why they aren’t good at something, you probably do too. But what would you say to them if they said they couldn’t do something or they bad at something? Now it’s time to step back and give yourself the same advice you’d give them.

You can be good at whatever you put your mind to. Perhaps you aren’t there yet, but if you practice, you can be. You matter and we want to know your story and hear YOUR voice, so please share it. Don’t deprive us of your wisdom and knowledge.

How will you share your story today? Please share because you are more than JUST anything, you are the sum total of everything that makes you YOU

The opinions expressed in Work in Progress are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Why is ‘voice’ important in academic writing?

This is the first of three chapter about Balancing Voices . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Introduce the concept of ‘voice’ in academic writing

– Discuss the importance of balancing author voices

– Provide examples of source voice and writer voice in context

Chapter 1: Why is ‘voice’ important in academic writing?

Chapter 2: What are the three different types of ‘voice’?

Chapter 3: How can I effectively balance ‘voice’ in my writing?

Of the many writing skills that exist, students often struggle most with the concept of voice in academic writing – yet creating a balance of voice is perhaps one of the most important aspects of this style. The following three chapters therefore attempt to deal firstly with the concept of voice and why it’s used in academic writing before exploring how to use and identify the three different types of voice. Finally, how to effectively include and balance voice in your own writing is discussed in some detail.

What is ‘voice’?

Although how voice is identified in academic writing varies slightly from institution to institution, the general concept of voice is mostly agreed upon. Put simply, voice when writing academically describes whether the information in a text has been provided by the writer or by another source author, and such voice may be analysed on a clause-by-clause or sentence-by-sentence basis. Writer voice is therefore used to indicate and introduce the opinions and ideas of the writer, while source voice may be used to introduce evidence, concepts or ideas from a published piece of research – otherwise known as a source . The following two example sentences show how both writer voice  ( WV ) and source voice ( SV ) may be used together:

Why is ‘voice’ important?

There are three primary reasons that the distinction between writer voice and source voice should be clearly indicated in a piece of academic writing.

1. Including Sources

Sources that provide support for the writer’s arguments and ideas are a critical aspect of academic writing. By using integral citations , the writer can introduce various sources in their writing in the form of source voice . Such sources may be introduced to define a concept , support an argument , provide explanations and examples, or to provide the direct words of an author through quotations .

2. Writing Convincing Arguments

Source voice is most often used by academics to introduce sources that will make that writer’s research more convincing. Particularly at the undergraduate level, a reader (or marking tutor) will likely care little for the ideas and opinions of an inexperienced and unpublished researcher; instead, by supporting those ideas with appropriate sources, the writer is able to make their arguments more convincing. If a reader sees that the writer’s ideas are supported by external evidence and agreement, then those ideas will be stronger and more difficult to refute.

3. Separating Opinions

The final reason that voice is important is that it helps the writer to separate their opinions from the opinions of other authors. Perhaps the writer wishes to introduce a counter argument in an evaluative essay and intends to show that they don’t necessarily agree with the included source’s research or ideas. To do this, the writer might use clear source voice , indicating that the evidence they’ve provided may or may not be separate from the writer’s own opinion. Consider the following example:

It’s clear from the second sentence in this example that the writer ( WV ) disagrees with Beck’s (2017) argument ( SV ). The use of clear  source voice and  writer voice  has therefore enabled the writer to separate their opinions from the opinions of another author. However, as will be shown in Chapter 2, there are in fact three types of voice that a writer may use to their advantage. Continue reading to find out more about the third and final type: mixed voice .

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Once you’ve completed all three chapters about voice , you might also wish to download our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets to test your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Our voice   academic reader (including all three chapters about this topic) can be accessed here at the click of a button.

Gain unlimited access to our voice   beginner worksheet, with activities and answer keys designed to check a basic understanding of this reader’s chapters.

To check a confident understanding of this reader’s chapters, click on the button below to download our voice   intermediate worksheet with activities and answer keys.

Our voice   advanced worksheet with activities and answer keys has been created to check a sophisticated understanding of this reader’s chapters. 

To save yourself 3 Marks , click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our voice   guidance and worksheets. The All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter on this topic, as well as our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets in one handy PDF.

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Why your voice is important.

I’ve often posted on the importance of the voice to public speaking ( here , here , and here , among many), and to leadership and authority in general.  Remarkable research in the last decade (that I talked about in Power Cues , Chapter Four ) reveals that the undertones of the voice are essential to the endorsement of a leader by the group.  And more generally, the undertones of a voice carry its emotions and therefore determine how much one person can influence, move, and finally lead another.

Most important of all, every voice projects the personality of its speaker. In other words, voice determines Voice, the capital letter indicating the quality of the human being behind the sounds he or she produces.  I’ve reported on how we can quickly determine a surprising number of personality traits just from hearing someone say “hello” to us. 

Voices are each unique, revealing, and central to your ability to lead change in the world.

And yet we underestimate the importance of a voice all the time.  We humans put more neurons to work analyzing the visual field, including how other people look to us, than we do listening to them.  Indeed, if there’s something interesting going on visually, we’ll put 10 million bits per second of analysis into the visual field, out of a total capacity of 11 million.

Sound not so much.  We think of the visual as more important, and indeed if you have to lose one of the senses, we save the most pity for blind people, considering that loss perhaps the most catastrophic.

And yet recent research by the American Psychological Association suggests that it’s better to focus on the listening end of things rather than the seeing end.

The study sought to determine the best way to decode the emotions of other people – through looking at their faces and body language, AND listening to them?  Or just by listening to them?  Surprisingly, it turns out that we are better at making these determinations of emotion if we just listen, rather than doing both – say, watching and listening to a video of someone emoting.

We’re more accurate and can empathize better if we’re paying attention to a voice.  Perhaps the focus helps; but I like to think it’s because so much is projected in the voice – our hopes and fears, our excitement and fatigue and joy and anger and love and hate and confusion.

Come to think of it, that old dinosaur Sigmund Freud sat his patients on a couch facing away from the analyst.  Maybe he was on to something.  Maybe just focusing on the voice allowed the analyst to hear things from suicidal tendencies and neuroticism to aggression and anger more clearly than if he or she had to take in all that information from the visual field as well as the aural.

Start working today on your voice.  It is the passport to the soul.  In it, your strength and also your uncertainties are revealed.  Learn to control it and become an intentional communicator.  Don’t leave that most important of ways to connect with your fellow humans to chance.

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You are so right Nick. Thanks for the reminder. I shall now go back to the exercises you gave to us in the workshop!

I’ll expect to hear more from your voice soon, Elizabeth — thanks for the comment.

Hi Dr. Morgan,

Can you please give me more information on the study?

Many thanks, Liz

Liz, just click on the link; it will take you to the study.

its great to know how voice works to empathize people……how you can feel the others emotions….

I would love to have voice lessons How can I get in touch with you ?

Many thanks !

Hi, Neomi — thanks for your comment. Please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Every voice, microphone, sound gadget and speakme surroundings is different, so comparable mic alternatives and strategies will now no longer always produce comparable consequences in all situations. for more info: https://zwieshpalm.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-power-of-sound-in-our-life-2022.html

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Georgia Tech Admission Blog

Your Voice Matters

If you have ever heard an admission counselor discuss college application essays, they will inevitably say, “We just want to hear your voice.” Having worked at a number of institutions, I can tell you this is absolutely true. While grammar and style matter, conversations in committee rooms center on what your essays tell us you care about and how you think and operate.

Admission interviews are similar. In fact, “interview” is really a misnomer. Admission reps, alumni, students, faculty, or other university representatives you meet with have a battery of questions to ask, but really they are hoping for a conversation . They are interested in the content of your responses, your tone, your ability to build on ideas, and the tenor of the overall exchange and dialogue.

In other words, when an admission dean tells you they “just want to hear your voice,” they are not only thinking about your application, but also who you will be as a future member of their campus community—and ultimately as a graduate and a global citizen.

Your voice matters in the college admission experience.  How and when will you use it?

If you are about to begin your college career, go look at your acceptance letter from the school you plan to attend.

I hope it makes you feel proud. I hope you see it as a vote of confidence, an invitation, and a contract.

An offer of admission is our way of saying…

We trust you.

We believe in you.

We need you.

We are counting on you to show up and contribute. We want you to be challenged and to challenge us. We are offering you an opportunity to learn, transform, and improve. And we are also imploring you to teach, transform, and improve our campus community.

Your voice matters in college. How and when will you use it?

Your Voice Matters Now

These are fractured and tumultuous times. Our world is facing a global pandemic. Our nation is in a divisive and contentious election year. Our cities are experiencing protests and curfews.

Honestly, part of what gives me hope right now is you. On Sunday, my family went to a protest organized by the Beacon Hill Alliance for Human Rights. The first 10 speakers were either high school or college students from the Atlanta area. It further convinced me of what I already know from reading your college applications— your voice is powerful and crucial right now and as we move forward.

Whether you are returning to high school or beginning your college career, I want you to know your voice matters. Your voice can help bring about the change and healing our local communities, campuses, cities, and our country so desperately need.

After the recent killings of Aumaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, there has been no shortage of articles, interviews, speeches, and social media posts suggesting precisely how and when you should use your voice. Ultimately, that decision rests with you.

My hope is you will choose to use it in your school and community to:

• call out and speak against injustice, inequality, racism, and discrimination.
• lift the voice of friends, classmates, or other community members who are marginalized or excluded.
• acknowledge what you do not know and commit to listening and learning.
• speak truth to power, especially when the reality of an organization or an institution does not mirror its stated values, mission, or vision.
• question and protest systems/ status quo that work against progress and equity– and ultimately vote accordingly.
• call out who is not in the room and work to bring them in as equal partners.

I want to be clear. I do not always get this right– far, far from it. The Real Cost of Silence is a story I told several years ago as part of Georgia Tech’s Transformative Narratives project , which demonstrates that fact. But it taught me that my voice matters; transformation comes through experience (often through missteps and failure); our words will never be perfect, but silence in the face of injustice and overt prejudice is patently wrong; we cannot change the past, so we must commit to a different and better today and tomorrow; and perhaps most importantly, not being part of the solution means you are part of the problem.

Your voice matters each and every day. How and when will you use it?

Your Voice Matters, Now More Than Ever

I hope you take this summer to read, listen, watch, learn, reflect, and evaluate.

I hope you will ask yourself big questions about who you are, who you want to be, what you care about, and what you believe. Whether you are applying to college in the year ahead or beginning your college career, those questions are critical.

I hope you consider what you want your future and the future of our nation and world to look like.

Most of all I hope you will be reminded and confident in this— YOUR VOICE MATTERS.

How and when will you use it?

More Georgia Tech Voices 

President Ángel Cabrera’s Statement on George Floyd

A Commitment to Drive Change by Archie W. Ervin, Ph.D.

Dean of Computing, Charles Isbell

Dr. Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

If you would like to subscribe to receive blog entries when they post, please enter your email address in the “subscribe” box at the top of the page. We welcome comments and feedback at @gtadmission on Twitter.

Author: Rick Clark

Rick Clark is the Executive Director of Strategic Student Access at Georgia Tech. He has served on a number of national advisory and governing boards at the state, regional, and national level. Rick travels annually to U.S. embassies through the Department of State to discuss the admission process and landscape of higher education. He is the co-author of the book The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, and a companion workbook published under the same title. A native of Atlanta, he earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. from Georgia State University. Prior to coming to Tech, Rick was on the admissions staff at Georgia State, The McCallie School and Wake Forest University. @clark2college View all posts by Rick Clark

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You Don’t Just Need One Leadership Voice — You Need Many

Here’s how to cultivate them.

Many aspiring leaders focus on developing a more confident-sounding persona. But building true confidence starts with cultivating a multi-faceted leadership voice. First, consider the voice of your character. This is the part of your voice that is grounded in fundamental principles about who you choose to be and what guides and motivates your interactions with others. Next, explore your voice of context: Instead of diving right into execution, take a moment to consider the strategic context of new initiatives. Third, in a world of high-intensity workplaces, leaders should aspire to be the voice of clarity, helping their team stay focused on the most-important priorities. Fourth, cultivate your voice of curiosity. As a leader, you have a responsibility to give direction, share information, and make important decisions — but you need to make sure that you’re not approaching every situation as if you have all the answers. Instead, bring a healthy dose of curiosity and open-mindedness when the situation calls for it. Finally, develop your voice of connection by improving your storytelling, expressing gratitude, and making time for your people. Ultimately, you should cultivate enough parts of your voice that no matter the leadership situation or audience you find yourself facing, you can respond in an authentic, constructive, and effective way.

We often equate developing a leadership voice with finding ways to appear more confident. We assume that our success depends upon mimicking someone else, increasing our self-promotion, or saying things louder than others. But rather than living with imposter’s syndrome , or feeling exhausted by wearing your game face all day, you can build a truer confidence by more intentionally focusing on cultivating many different parts of your leadership voice each day. Ultimately, you should cultivate enough parts of your voice so that no matter the leadership situation or audience you find yourself facing, you can respond in an authentic, constructive, and effective way. So, what are the various voices to access within yourself and cultivate over time? And what are the situations that warrant each voice?

• AS Amy Jen Su is a co-founder and managing partner of Paravis Partners , a premier executive coaching and leadership development firm. For the past two decades, she has coached CEOs, executives, and rising stars in organizations. She is the author of the HBR Press book The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self—Every Day,   and co-author of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence  with Muriel Maignan Wilkins.

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Finding Your Voice as a Writer: Embracing Authenticity in Your Work

By JD Barker

In the bustling world of literature, where countless voices vie for attention, one question haunts aspiring writers like a persistent melody: How do I find my unique voice? It’s the literary equivalent of a musician’s signature sound or an artist’s distinctive brushstroke. Your voice is the ineffable quality that makes your writing unmistakably yours.

But here’s the rub: your voice isn’t something you find like a lost set of keys. It’s something you cultivate, nurture and ultimately unleash. It’s the culmination of your experiences, your perspective and your willingness to bare your soul on the page. In short, it’s about embracing authenticity in your work.

Or consider David Foster Wallace, whose maximalist, footnote-laden style was as much a reflection of his brilliant, restless mind as it was a literary choice. Wallace’s voice didn’t come from mimicking others, but from allowing his unique perspective — complete with all its quirks and digressions — to flow onto the page.

So how do you, as a budding writer , find your own authentic voice? Here are a few strategies to consider:

1. Write What You Know (And What You Don’t). The old adage “write what you know” is solid advice, but it’s only half the story. Yes, draw from your experiences, your emotions, your unique slice of life. But also write about what you don’t know — what fascinates you, what scares you, what you’re trying to understand. Your voice emerges in how you approach both the familiar and the unknown.

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3. Embrace Your Quirks. Maybe you have a penchant for long, winding sentences that would make Faulkner proud. Perhaps you love sprinkling pop culture references throughout your prose like Chuck Klosterman. Or maybe you have a knack for sparse, Hemingway-esque dialogue. Whatever your quirks are, don’t shy away from them. They’re the building blocks of your unique voice.

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4. Write Often, and Write Badly. The only way to develop your voice is to use it. Write every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. And here’s the liberating part: Give yourself permission to write badly. Your first drafts don’t need to be masterpieces. They’re the sandbox where you play, experiment and gradually uncover your authentic voice.

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7. Break the Rules (But Know Them First). To develop a truly unique voice, you might need to break some grammatical rules or literary conventions. But here’s the catch: you need to know the rules before you can break them effectively. Master the basics of your craft, then feel free to experiment and push boundaries.

8. Trust Your Instincts. Sometimes, finding your voice is about trusting your gut. If a certain way of writing feels right to you, even if it goes against conventional wisdom, explore it. Your instincts are a crucial part of your authentic voice.

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In the end, your authentic voice is the most valuable asset you have as a writer. It’s what will make your work stand out in a sea of words. It’s what will connect you with readers on a profound level. And it’s what will keep you writing even when the going gets tough.

So, aspiring scribes, embrace your quirks, dig deep into your experiences and let your authentic self shine through your words. Your voice is waiting to be heard. All you need to do is let it speak.

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Why your voice matters, your voice holds immense power. use it to make a difference..

Your Voice Matters.

I am sure you have heard this many times before, and brushed it off, throwing the comment to the wayside and simply accepting it as fact. You have lived your whole life being told that you have the opportunity to stand up for what you believe in, and that you are capable of achieving great things if you put the work into it. No one has blatantly told you that what you say and how your use your voice does not matter. No one has told you that you cannot stand up against wrong, and use your voice for change.

Imagine being told that what you say, and consequentially who you are, does not matter. Imagine being repeatedly told that you can see the wrong in the world, but no matter what you do to eradicate it, your efforts can never be enough to make a difference.

This is the reality for a good percentage of the world. In many countries, youth (specifically girls) are discouraged from standing up for what they believe in, especially if it goes against a prominent religion or the cultural norms. Young people are not considered integral parts of society, and so their voices are shunned and their contributions to the world limited to child-bearing and manual labor.

We are blessed to live in a nation that encourages us to speak up for what we believe in. We are not perfect in any stretch of the imagination, but we allow one another to have differing values and beliefs. In the United States, we are not killed for speaking against poverty, or other important issues. Our voices are heard, and acknowledged.

As citizens of a free nation, it is our duty to use our voices for those who do not have one. We have all the tools and resources we need to not only make a difference in the world, but to assist others in making a difference as well. Instead of arming poor nations with weapons, we can arm them with an education and a chance to pull themselves out of their situation.

If you have ever been told that your voice does not matter, it was a lie. Your voice is one of the most important things you will ever have. You have the ability to make waves, and to shake up the world we live in. Rather than using excuses, use the gifts given to you and make a change. We have a duty as citizens of a free nation to begin the conversation of change, and to open the doorway that allows others' voices to be heard. Just like your voice matters, so does the girl sitting next to you, or the boy in your history class. Our voices, collectively and individually, matter.

Let me leave you with an important quote from one of my favorite activists:

"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful." - Malala Yousafzai

Use your voice to make a difference, and understand that it holds immense power.

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27 hidden joys, appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures..

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy , I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

1. Sun showers

3. tight hugs, 4. discovering new foods you like., 5. laying in bed after a long day., 6. and being completely relaxed, 7. "this reminded me of you", 8. breakfast foods, 9. over-sized clothes, 10. contagious laughs, 11. car rides with that one person, 12. random (i miss you/ i love you) texts, 13. the city at night, 14. surprises, 15. blanket cocoons, 16. good hair days, 17. really good coffee, 18. days where you're in a good mood naturally and for no particular reason, 19. conquering a fear, 20. when they give you a lot of guac at chipotle, 21. being so comfortable with someone that you can literally talk about anything, 22. home-cooked meals, 23. tattoo stories, 24. leaves changing color in fall, 25. butterflies in your stomach, 26. peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, 27. when you can't stop laughing, cool off with these 8 beers.

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports ... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Coors Light Summer Brew:

This summer shandy begins this list, it's a mix of lemon, lime and orange. While this is by no means a craft beer, it still has it place as a refreshing summer brew to enjoy.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Solid choice for any summer get together, great taste with a hint of citrus.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Distinctly reminds me of Fruity Pebbles, but nonetheless is a wonderful summer beer.

Want to know more about beer?

Summertime is the perfect time for beer, and that's why International Beer Day is on August 2nd. Our community has you covered with more stories about beer, including:

• The Benefits of Drinking Beer : Let us count the ways. There are more than you might think.
• Delicious Beer Substitutes : Is beer not typically your thing? Try one of these instead.
• Unique Beer Flavors to Try : Whether it's hard apple cider or the tase of wild blueberries, these are great options.
• If College Majors Were Beers : Business, sports medicine, design – there's a beer for every major.

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Sam Adams is known for their traditional Boston Lager, but their Summer Ale is damn good.

Hell or High Watermelon

Made with real watermelon, not much is more summer-esque than juicy watermelon in July.

Blue Moon Summer Honey

I love me some Blue Moon, so the summer brew is a no-brainer on this list.

LandShark Lager

Fun fact: LandShark is owned by Anheuser-Busch, and is more commonly know as the signature drink of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

Obviously Corona had to take the number one spot. To me, there's nothing more refreshing than a cold Corona with lime on a hot summer day.

So whether you're on a sandy beach, a fishing boat, or at a pool, just remember what our dear friend Jack Nicholson said, "Beer, it's the best damn drink in the world."

Drink responsibly and never drink and drive.

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Perfect Weather

You'll get an effortless tan.

Being outside is inevitable when the weather is this nice, so slap on some low SPF and enjoy the perfect weather as you become a bronzed beach babe!

You can exercise with a view

Who said working on your summer bod has to stop when summer starts? In SoCal there are hundreds of gorgeous hiking trails in the mountains or on the cliffs overlooking the beach, so maintaining your summer bod is easy on the eyes and a lot less of a drag!

You don't have to worry about bug bites

The likelihood of you getting bit by a bug is slim, so you don't have to worry about smelling like bug spray whenever you want to go outside.

In n Out all day, every day

No explanation needed.

We have outdoor concerts

At the county fair or on the beach, summertime means outdoor concerts with good music and great friends.

We live where people vacation

We're lucky enough to live in paradise and we don't take that for granted. We take advantage of our sunsets on the beach and backyard staycation without spending a pretty penny on visiting somewhere that isn't nearly as perfect as SoCal. We're pretty spoiled.

25 Lyrics for Selfie Captions

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics..

Sometimes you can't think of the perfect caption for your Instagram post. I love using lyrics as my captions because there's so many great lines in songs that just seem to fit in the moment . Here are some lyrics that could work for your selfie or pictures of you with your friends!

1. “Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside. It's where my demons hide.”

Imagine Dragons, Demons

2. “Tonight, we are young.”

Fun., We Are Young

3. “Cuz I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it.”

Rihanna, S&M

4. “Tell me how they got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame.”

Justin Timberlake, Summer Love

5. “I can’t wait to fall in love with you, you can’t wait to fall in love with me.”

6. “sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no makeup on.”.

Drake, Best I Ever Had

7. “Why you so obsessed with me?”

Mariah Carey, Obsessed

8. “We ain’t ever getting older.”

The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, Closer

9. “I didn’t know that I was starving until I tasted you.”

Haille Steinfeld, Starving

10. “Didn’t they tell you I’m a savage?"

Rihanna, Needed Me

11. “I’m gonna make you miss me.”

Sam Hunt, Make You Miss Me

12. "Cheers to the freakin weekend.”

Rihanna, Cheers

13. “Love’s a game. Wanna play?”

Taylor Swift , Blank Space

14. “You don’t know about me, but I bet you want to.”

Taylor Swift, 22

15. “Let’s set each other’s lonely nights, Be each other’s paradise.”

Justin Bieber, Company

16. “Trippin’ on skies, sippin’ waterfalls."

Troye Sivan, Youth

17. “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days.”

Twenty One Pilots, Stressed Out

18. “But you will remember me for centuries.”

Fall Out Boy , Centuries

19. “Something about you makes me feel like a dangerous woman."

Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman

20. “Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me.”

Justin Timberlake, Not A Bad Thing

21. “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

Taylor Swift, Blank Space

22. “Find me where the wild things are.”

Alessia Cara, Wild Things

23. “I’m high on lovin’ you.”

Florida Georgia Line, H.O.L.Y.

24. “If you’re gonna be somebody’s heartbreak, somebody’s mistake, if you’re gonna be somebody’s first time, somebody’s last time, be mine.”

Hunter Hayes, Somebody's Heartbreak

25. “Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled on.”

Lauren Alaina, Road Less Traveled

Bruce Springsteen's Top 7 Lyrics

Everything bruce says in his classic rock songs..

Anyone who was born and raised in New Jersey (or anywhere really) knows of Bruce Springsteen, whether or not they like him is a whole other situation. I hope that his hundreds of classic rock songs and famous high energy performances, even in his sixties he can put on better concerts than people half his age, are at least recognizable to people of all ages. Love him or hate him (I identify with the former) you have to admit that some of his songs and interviews have inspirational quotes and lyrics.

Want to know more about Bruce Springsteen?

One of the great American artists of all time, Bruce Springsteen has had a profound impact on the music world. Our community has you covered with more about him:

• How I Learned To Love Bruce Springsteen : It was an acquired taste, and here's exactly what made him stand out.
• 4 Of My Favorite Songs From 'The Boss', Bruce Springsteen : He has so many hits, but these are the best of the best.
• 18 Most Memorable Bruce Springsteen Lyrics : "Ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" and many more!
• Bruce Springsteen: To Lose Your Audience : He's dabbled into political music, so no surprise that can be divisive.

Here are a few of Bruce Springsteen's most memorable song lyrics because whether you're a die hard fan who named your dog after the man (I totally did that) or you have other opinions, you have to admit that some of his lyrics are on point:

1. "Talk about a dream Try to make it real You wake up in the night With a fear so real Spend your life waiting For a moment that just don't come Well don't waste your time waiting." (Badlands)

This is one of my personal favorites. Maybe it is a little lengthy, but it really hits on some major points.

2. "It's a town full of losers/ I'm pulling out of here to win" (Thunder Road)

Maybe this only resonates with people who hate their hometown (which is most college students I know). However, I once watched an interview where Lady Gaga said that this was the lyric that inspired her to become a musician. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.

3. "You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above" (Tunnel of Love)

It's the Bruce Springsteen version of "if you can't beat them, join them."

4. "I got something in my heart / I been waitin' to give/ I got a life I wanna start/ One I been waitin' to live" (Leah)

For some reason, I have always loved this less popular song.

5. “God have mercy on the man/ Who doubts what he’s sure of” (Brilliant Disguise)

This had to be included because this is my favorite Bruce Springsteen song, but it is also a solid quote.

6. “Well everybody’s got a hunger, a hunger they can’t resist/ There’s so much that you want, you deserve much more than this/ Well, if dreams came true, aw, wouldn’t that be nice?/ But this ain’t no dream, we’re living all through the night/ You want it? You take it, you pay the price” (Prove it All Night)

Maybe it is not one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs, but this lyric is still powerful.

7. “Is a dream a lie when it don’t come true, or is it something worse?” (The River)

"The River" is another one of my favorite songs, it has so many quotable lyrics. This is just one of them.

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Why Voting Is Important

“Voting is your civic duty.” This is a pretty common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for Americans in particular?

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History

Americans Voting

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

Hill Street Studios

A History of Voting in the United States Today, most American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections , but voting was not always a default right for all Americans. The United States Constitution, as originally written, did not define specifically who could or could not vote—but it did establish how the new country would vote. Article 1 of the Constitution determined that members of the Senate and House of Representatives would both be elected directly by popular vote . The president, however, would be elected not by direct vote, but rather by the Electoral College . The Electoral College assigns a number of representative votes per state, typically based on the state’s population. This indirect election method was seen as a balance between the popular vote and using a state’s representatives in Congress to elect a president. Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement ).

While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win re election by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off. It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes , literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax , and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment. With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting (particularly sex and race), theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. Later, in 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote. With these constitutional amendments and legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle for widespread voting rights evolved from the Founding Fathers’ era to the late 20th century. Why Your Vote Matters If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history. In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case ( Bush v. Gore ). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008. More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency. Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters. A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful. How You Can Make Your Voice Heard If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

• Be informed! Read up on political issues (both local and national) and figure out where you stand.
• Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school or local newspaper, or other public forums. You never know who might be listening.
• Volunteer. If you support a particular candidate, you can work on their campaign by participating in phone banks, doing door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, or volunteering at campaign headquarters. Your work can help get candidates elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.

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Essay On Why does your voice matter?

Hello My Dear Friend, In this post “ Essay On Why does your voice matter? “, We will be going to read about Why does your voice matter in detail. So…

Let’s Start…

Voice possesses unimaginable power. It is a special instrument that each person has that enables them to communicate their ideas, opinions, and feelings.

Voice comprises a variety of communication methods, including literary, creative, and digital means, and is not just restricted to speaking in the physical sense.

The question of why your voice matters emerges in a culture that values diversity of thought and viewpoint.

In this essay, we’ll examine the value of individual voices and why they’re so crucial to forming the society in which we live.

The voice of each individual is first and foremost a reflection of their identity and life experiences. Each person has a unique history, upbringing, and set of values that influence how they view the world.

Your voice symbolizes your individual experience, and it is important because it brings variation to the overarching human story. Voices differ from one another just like fingerprints do.

Your voice contains your ideas, feelings, and morals, and it has the capacity to unite and promote understanding among people from various backgrounds.

By expressing your ideas and beliefs, you help build a more diverse and inclusive society where everyone’s voice is respected and adds to the rich fabric of the human experience.

Second, your voice matters because it has the power to effect change for the better. History is rife with instances of people who raised their voices in opposition to the established quo and in the pursuit of social, political, and economic justice.

Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, and other well-known individuals have all had a big impact on society by speaking up and acting as change agents.

Even if you may not have the same influence as these powerful individuals, your voice can still have a positive impact on your neighborhood, place of employment, or social circle.

Your voice has the capacity to inspire, mobilize, and spark change, whether it is used to advocate for a cause you are passionate about, speak out against injustice, or spread awareness about significant concerns.

Your voice counts because it has the power to improve the world. Additionally, the democratic process benefits from hearing what you have to say.

In a democracy, the people hold the authority, and a fair and just government cannot function without the participation of the people.

Your voice can influence how your society develops by casting a ballot in elections, taking part in public conversation, and participating in political discussion.

Your voice counts because it enables you to hold those in positions of authority responsible, to voice your views, and to call for change.

It gives you the freedom to express yourself without concern about repression and to practice your fundamental right to free speech.

Your opinion counts because it is essential to democracy and ensures that choices are made collaboratively, taking into account a range of viewpoints and interests.

Your voice is important because it promotes empowerment and personal development, too. You can gain a sense of self-worth and self-confidence by speaking up and expressing your ideas.

It enables you to make sense of your own values, hone your opinions, and communicate your points of view clearly. Your voice is a self-advocacy tool that enables you to state your requirements, boundaries, and preferences.

It supports you in establishing deep connections, resolving disputes, and navigating social situations. Because it gives you the ability to advocate for yourself, make wise decisions, and claim your autonomy, your voice matters.

Your voice counts because it encourages others, too. You could unwittingly have an impact on people who look up to you when you stand up and express your opinion.

You have the ability to excite and inspire those around you, especially those who might be reluctant or scared to speak up for themselves.

By speaking up, you can inspire others to do the same, resulting in a positive change that spreads. Your voice counts because it has the capacity to inspire other people.

Finally, Thanks For Reading “ Essay On Why does your voice matter? “.

If you have any questions related to “ Essay On Why does your voice matter? “, So, please comment below.

• Essay On The role of languages in building identity
• Essay On Youth as the future pillar of society

3 thoughts on “Essay On Why does your voice matter?”

Please how can one use his or her voice when negative influence or intimidation strikes?

How about when female voices matter Ina society

How about discrimination in voices

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What Kamala Harris has said so far on key issues in her campaign

As she ramps up her nascent presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris is revealing how she will address the key issues facing the nation.

In speeches and rallies, she has voiced support for continuing many of President Joe Biden’s measures, such as lowering drug costs , forgiving student loan debt and eliminating so-called junk fees. But Harris has made it clear that she has her own views on some key matters, particularly Israel’s treatment of Gazans in its war with Hamas.

In a departure from her presidential run in 2020, the Harris campaign has confirmed that she’s moved away from many of her more progressive stances, such as her interest in a single-payer health insurance system and a ban on fracking.

Harris is also expected to put her own stamp and style on matters ranging from abortion to the economy to immigration, as she aims to walk a fine line of taking credit for the administration’s accomplishments while not being jointly blamed by voters for its shortcomings.

Her early presidential campaign speeches have offered insights into her priorities, though she’s mainly voiced general talking points and has yet to release more nuanced plans. Like Biden, she intends to contrast her vision for America with that of former President Donald Trump. ( See Trump’s campaign promises here .)

“In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she told members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta at an event in Indianapolis in late July. “And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”

Here’s what we know about Harris’ views:

Harris took on the lead role of championing abortion rights for the administration after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. This past January, she started a “ reproductive freedoms tour ” to multiple states, including a stop in Minnesota thought to be the first by a sitting US president or vice president at an abortion clinic .

On abortion access, Harris embraced more progressive policies than Biden in the 2020 campaign, as a candidate criticizing his previous support for the Hyde Amendment , a measure that blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions.

Policy experts suggested that although Harris’ current policies on abortion and reproductive rights may not differ significantly from Biden’s, as a result of her national tour and her own focus on maternal health , she may be a stronger messenger.

High prices are a top concern for many Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of living after a spell of steep inflation. Many voters give Biden poor marks for his handling of the economy, and Harris may also face their wrath.

In her early campaign speeches, Harris has echoed many of the same themes as Biden, saying she wants to give Americans more opportunities to get ahead. She’s particularly concerned about making care – health care, child care, elder care and family leave – more affordable and available.

Harris promised at a late July rally to continue the Biden administration’s drive to eliminate so-called “junk fees” and to fully disclose all charges, such as for events, lodging and car rentals. In early August, the administration proposed a rule that would ban airlines from charging parents extra fees to have their kids sit next to them.

On day one, I will take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees and surprise late charges that banks and other companies use to pad their profits.”

Since becoming vice president, Harris has taken more moderate positions, but a look at her 2020 campaign promises reveals a more progressive bent than Biden.

As a senator and 2020 presidential candidate, Harris proposed providing middle-class and working families with a refundable tax credit of up to $6,000 a year (per couple) to help keep up with living expenses. Titled the LIFT the Middle Class Act, or Livable Incomes for Families Today, the measure would have cost at the time an estimated $3 trillion over 10 years.

Unlike a typical tax credit, the bill would allow taxpayers to receive the benefit – up to $500 – on a monthly basis so families don’t have to turn to payday loans with very high interest rates.

As a presidential candidate, Harris also advocated for raising the corporate income tax rate to 35%, where it was before the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump and congressional Republicans pushed through Congress reduced the rate to 21%. That’s higher than the 28% Biden has proposed.

Affordable housing was also on Harris’ radar. As a senator, she introduced the Rent Relief Act, which would establish a refundable tax credit for renters who annually spend more than 30% of their gross income on rent and utilities. The amount of the credit would range from 25% to 100% of the excess rent, depending on the renter’s income.

Harris called housing a human right and said in a 2019 news release on the bill that every American deserves to have basic security and dignity in their own home.

Consumer debt

Hefty debt loads, which weigh on people’s finances and hurt their ability to buy homes, get car loans or start small businesses, are also an area of interest to Harris.

As vice president, she has promoted the Biden administration’s initiatives on student debt, which have so far forgiven more than $168 billion for nearly 4.8 million borrowers . In mid-July, Harris said in a post on X that “nearly 950,000 public servants have benefitted” from student debt forgiveness, compared with only 7,000 when Biden was inaugurated.

A potential Harris administration could keep that momentum going – though some of Biden’s efforts have gotten tangled up in litigation, such as a program aimed at cutting monthly student loan payments for roughly 3 million borrowers enrolled in a repayment plan the administration implemented last year.

The vice president has also been a leader in the White House efforts to ban medical debt from credit reports, noting that those with medical debt are no less likely to repay a loan than those who don’t have unpaid medical bills.

In a late July statement praising North Carolina’s move to relieve the medical debt of about 2 million residents, Harris said that she is “committed to continuing to relieve the burden of medical debt and creating a future where every person has the opportunity to build wealth and thrive.”

Health care

Harris, who has had shifting stances on health care in the past, confirmed in late July through her campaign that she no longer supports a single-payer health care system .

During her 2020 campaign, Harris advocated for shifting the US to a government-backed health insurance system but stopped short of wanting to completely eliminate private insurance.

The measure called for transitioning to a Medicare-for-All-type system over 10 years but continuing to allow private insurance companies to offer Medicare plans.

The proposal would not have raised taxes on the middle class to pay for the coverage expansion. Instead, it would raise the needed funds by taxing Wall Street trades and transactions and changing the taxation of offshore corporate income.

When it comes to reducing drug costs, Harris previously proposed allowing the federal government to set “a fair price” for any drug sold at a cheaper price in any economically comparable country, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan or Australia. If manufacturers were found to be price gouging, the government could import their drugs from abroad or, in egregious cases, use its existing but never-used “march-in” authority to license a drug company’s patent to a rival that would produce the medication at a lower cost.

Harris has been a champion on climate and environmental justice for decades. As California’s attorney general, Harris sued big oil companies like BP and ConocoPhillips, and investigated Exxon Mobil for its role in climate change disinformation. While in the Senate, she sponsored the Green New Deal resolution.

During her 2020 campaign, she enthusiastically supported a ban on fracking — but a Harris campaign official said in late July that she no longer supports such a ban.

Fracking is the process of using liquid to free natural gas from rock formations – and the primary mode for extracting gas for energy in battleground Pennsylvania. During a September 2019 climate crisis town hall hosted by CNN, she said she would start “with what we can do on Day 1 around public lands.” She walked that back later when she became Biden’s running mate.

Biden has been the most pro-climate president in history, and climate advocates find Harris to be an exciting candidate in her own right. Democrats and climate activists are planning to campaign on the stark contrasts between Harris and Trump , who vowed to push America decisively back to fossil fuels, promising to unwind Biden’s climate and clean energy legacy and pull America out of its global climate commitments.

If elected, one of the biggest climate goals Harris would have to craft early in her administration is how much the US would reduce its climate pollution by 2035 – a requirement of the Paris climate agreement .

Immigration

Harris has quickly started trying to counter Trump’s attacks on her immigration record.

Her campaign released a video in late July citing Harris’ support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and Trump’s successful push to scuttle a bipartisan immigration deal that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.

The vice president has changed her position on border control since her 2020 campaign, when she suggested that Democrats needed to “critically examine” the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, after being asked whether she sided with those in the party arguing to abolish the department.

In June of this year, the White House announced a crackdown on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the US-Mexico border – a policy that Harris’ campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, indicated in late July to CBS News would continue under a Harris administration.

Trump’s attacks stem from Biden having tasked Harris with overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America in March 2021. While Harris focused on long-term fixes, the Department of Homeland Security remained responsible for overseeing border security.

She has only occasionally talked about her efforts as the situation along the US-Mexico border became a political vulnerability for Biden. But she put her own stamp on the administration’s efforts, engaging the private sector.

Harris pulled together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government. Her team and the partnership are closely coordinating on initiatives that have led to job creation in the region. Harris has also engaged directly with foreign leaders in the region.

Experts credit Harris’ ability to secure private-sector investments as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the long-term durability of those investments.

Israel-Hamas

The Israel-Hamas war is the most fraught foreign policy issue facing the country and has spurred a multitude of protests around the US since it began in October.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late July, Harris gave a forceful and notable speech about the situation in Gaza.

We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.”

Harris echoed Biden’s repeated comments about the “ironclad support” and “unwavering commitment” to Israel. The country has a right to defend itself, she said, while noting, “how it does so, matters.”

However, the empathy she expressed regarding the Palestinian plight and suffering was far more forceful than what Biden has said on the matter in recent months. Harris mentioned twice the “serious concern” she expressed to Netanyahu about the civilian deaths in Gaza, the humanitarian situation and destruction she called “catastrophic” and “devastating.”

She went on to describe “the images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time.”

Harris emphasized the need to get the Israeli hostages back from Hamas captivity, naming the eight Israeli-American hostages – three of whom have been killed.

But when describing the ceasefire deal in the works, she didn’t highlight the hostage for prisoner exchange or aid to be let into Gaza. Instead, she singled out the fact that the deal stipulates the withdrawal by the Israeli military from populated areas in the first phase before withdrawing “entirely” from Gaza before “a permanent end to the hostilities.”

Harris didn’t preside over Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in late July, instead choosing to stick with a prescheduled trip to a sorority event in Indiana.

Harris is committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, having met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at least six times and announcing last month $1.5 billion for energy assistance, humanitarian needs and other aid for the war-torn country.

At the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Harris said: “I will make clear President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine. In partnership with supportive, bipartisan majorities in both houses of the United States Congress, we will work to secure critical weapons and resources that Ukraine so badly needs. And let me be clear: The failure to do so would be a gift to Vladimir Putin.”

More broadly, NATO is central to our approach to global security. For President Biden and me, our sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad. And I do believe, as I have said before, NATO is the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”

Police funding

The Harris campaign has also walked back the “defund the police” sentiment that Harris voiced in 2020. What she meant is she supports being “tough and smart on crime,” Mitch Landrieu, national co-chair for the Harris campaign and former mayor of New Orleans, told CNN’s Pamela Brown in late July.

In the midst of nationwide 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, Harris voiced support for the “defund the police” movement, which argues for redirecting funds from law enforcement to social services. Throughout that summer, Harris supported the movement and called for demilitarizing police departments.

Democrats largely backed away from calls to defund the police after Republicans attempted to tie the movement to increases in crime during the 2022 midterm elections.

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