Our voice is active, open, confident and inclusive. When writing about the university or telling the stories of our people, choose a style of writing that naturally reflects these values.
Use present tense.
Writing in the “now” provides a sense of ongoing discovery and lets readers feel like they are a part of the narrative.
Present: Joshua Aiken, AB ’14, has a passion for international human rights and domestic civil liberties. Now a Rhodes Scholar, he is pursuing that passion at the University of Oxford in England over the next two years, studying the experience of refugees and asylum seekers. “I have had the experience of being able to live openly and freely and to
be who I am. Knowing that so many people can’t do that motivates me,” Aiken said.
Past: While studying at Washington University, Joshua Aiken, AB ’14, pursued his passion for international human rights and domestic civil liberties. After he was named a Rhodes Scholar, Aiken knew exactly what he’d study at the University of Oxford in England. He would spend the two years after graduating studying the experience of refugees and asylum seekers. “I have had the experience of being able to live openly and freely and to be who I am. Knowing that so many people can’t do that motivates me,” Aiken said.
Use active voice.
Create sentences in which people are doing things. It’s more energetic and interesting than the passive alternative.
Active: Sean B. Carroll, PhD, AB ’79 (biology), is an award- winning, internationally recognized biologist and author of five books on genetics and evolution. Yet, he decided to spend two-and-a-half years writing a book centered on World War II history, the French Resistance and the friendship between two Nobel Prize winners, writer-philosopher Albert Camus and biologist Jacques Monod. It was a seemingly risky stretch for a scientist — which now looks like a smart career move.
Passive: The book “Brave Genius” is about World War II history, the French Resistance and the friendship between two Nobel Prize winners, writer-philosopher Albert Camus and biologist Jacques Monod, but it wasn’t written by a historian. Instead, it was authored by Sean B. Carroll, PhD, AB ’79 (biology), an award-winning, internationally recognized biologist and author of five books on genetics and evolution. Taking two-and-a-half years to research and write the book may seem risky for a career scientist, but now it looks like a smart career move.
Present facts.
Statements about the university should be more than just adjectives and superlatives. Provide evidence with examples.
Factual: In 2011, U2, one of the world’s most popular bands, played to a sold-out crowd of more than 50,000 in St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. But it was 30 years earlier when the band played St. Louis for the first time, at Washington University’s Graham Chapel. On April 7, 1981, U2 — hired for the sum of $750 — performed to a capacity crowd, playing songs from their newly released, now-classic album, “Boy.” Those in attendance couldn’t have known they were witnessing the early stage of a band that would become one of the world’s most well-known musical acts, with future hits including “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “One,” and “Pride (in the Name of Love).”
Abstract: U2, one of the world’s most popular bands, recently played to a sold-out St. Louis crowd. But U2 played St. Louis for the first time decades earlier at Washington University. In the early ’80s, U2 — hired for less than $1,000 — performed to a huge crowd on campus, playing songs from their debut album, which later became a classic. Those in attendance couldn’t have known they were witnessing the early stage of a band that would become one of the world’s most well-known musical acts, with future hits that would top the charts.
Intelligent and accessible.
Strive to communicate as clearly as possible, with concise sentences to convey complex ideas.
Concise: David Norman, co-chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art Worldwide at Sotheby’s, will never forget the day he and three colleagues flew from London on a secret mission to a warehouse on the outskirts of Oslo, Norway. There, in a cold bare room, lit by a single fluorescent light, they had their first look at the iconic 1895 pastel of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” one of four versions in existence and the only one still in private hands.
Wordy: Edvard Munch’s pre-expressionist “The Scream,” or “Der Schrei der Natur” (1893), is iconographic in Western art and culture, becoming “the Mona Lisa for our time” according to journalist Arthur Lubow. A ghost-like figure in the painting’s foreground has been called a rendering of Nietzsche’s cry “God is dead, and we have nothing to replace him.” The painting is also linked with Schopenhauer’s concept of dread, articulated in “Philosophie der Kunst.” Munch created four versions of the image — a tempera and pastel on cardboard, two pastels and a tempera painting — between 1893 and 1895. David Norman, co-chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art Worldwide at Sotheby’s, saw one of those pastels in a warehouse Oslo, Norway.
Use the first person.
“We” and “our” make our voice personal. Avoid descriptions that sound like an outsider writing about us.
First person: At Washington University, our top priorities are the intellectual, personal and professional growth of students. We listen and respond to your interests and needs. We help you prepare for a career. Our faculty members — leaders in their fields — care deeply about the subjects they study and about the students they teach. And we believe that you will get where you want to be by becoming an analytical thinker, a problem solver and an effective communicator.
Third person: At Washington University, students discover and develop who they are and what they want to be. The university prioritizes intellectual, personal and professional growth. The faculty and staff respond to students’ interests and needs. The university’s career center helps develop the skills needed to find a job. The faculty — leaders in their fields — care deeply about the subjects they study and about the students they teach. At Washington University, everyone believes that students get where they want to be by becoming analytical thinkers, problem solvers and an effective communicators.