The Department of English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has chosen "future" as Hawaii's Word of the Year for 2024. The word reflects a mix of hope and fear, sitting between optimism and anxiety. As John David Zuern, chair of the department, put it, “‘Future’ is neither clearly positive nor negative. It's something we might want and something we might fear. It's something at risk, so it's something we have to protect,” according to a statement obtained by Spectrum Local News.
The English Majors Association, made up of undergraduate students, chose "future" as this year's word, and the Department's Executive Committee approved the decision. Zuern explained that this choice, aimed at amplifying the voices of young people, reflects a time when listening to the perspectives of the younger generation is more important than ever. "We felt that at this moment in our country’s history, it would be best to listen to how our students, many of whom are young people, are encapsulating their experiences and aspirations in words" Zuern told the University of Hawaiʻi News.
The selection was no light task—other contenders for the Word of the Year included "solidarity,” "community,” "hope,” "nightmare,” and "dystopian.” Unlike Hawai'i, which chose its own word, Merriam-Webster picked "polarization" as the word of the year for 2024. They announced this on Tuesday, as stated by University of Hawaiʻi News.
While "future" represents a canvas waiting for our collective efforts, the backdrop of "polarization" shows the growing divisions in our society. The recent focus on these words by UH Mānoa and Merriam-Webster reveals two different ways of approaching the challenges of our time. Yet, it is Hawaii's younger generation that carries a forward-thinking vision, working to break free from the cycle of division that has shaped much of today's conversations, as menioned by Spectrum Local News.
