Pen in Paw aims to foster a collaborative environment through creative writing. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Goo and Grace Ramsey. 

SAMUEL DEMIS | STAFF REPORTER | sademis@butler.edu 

Pen in Paw, a new creative writing student organization on campus, hopes to bring together students from all backgrounds and majors to share their creativity and passion for writing. 

The organization’s callout meeting will be held in Jordan Hall 170 on Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m. The following meetings will take place once every two weeks. 

Sophomore biology major Olivia Vogel founded the organization. She has advocated for creative writing since middle school, where non-academic writing projects helped her form an appreciation for creative work. 

“We had a project for the end of the year about the transition to high school,” Vogel said. “It was the first time I had ever written something that was not an academic paper or an essay. [It was] pure creative work that I had so much fun doing.”

Hoping to continue this newfound hobby, Vogel founded her high school’s creative writing club. She wanted to fill a gap, believing that a space for anyone to share their ideas, give feedback and grow their skills could leave a lasting impression on future writers. While Butler has several student organizations involving writing, Vogel hopes to fill a similar void and give students a creative space similar to her high school project. 

The organization’s secretary, sophomore arts administration major Emma Huser, detailed what participants can expect from the average meeting. 

“Students will be able to get to know each other on a deeper level as writers,” Huser said. “People that enjoy reading will be able to interact with those interested in creating their own short stories or scripts, and we will also have the opportunity to work with prompts and swap ideas during club meetings.”

Vogel discussed her desire to bring together writers of all types and styles. 

“What I want is a space where students can [work] on long-form pieces like novels, poems or short stories,” Vogel said. “If they want comments, feedback or just want to share their work with others, this will be a space where they [can] do that.” 

In addition to in-person meetings, a Canvas page for the organization is in the works. Students will be able to use this to easily post writings and leave comments, as well as hear about any potential writing contests or scholarships.

Social media chair Grace Ramsey, a sophomore sociology and public health major, expressed interest in collaborating with other Butler organizations. 

“We definitely have some ideas for future collaborations and projects,” Ramsey said. “That may include working with some of the other English-based extracurriculars on campus. We would like to team up with Bookish Bulldogs and Screenwriting [Club and] maybe set up a publishing workshop together.”

Ultimately, the three founders hope that Pen in Paw will establish a legacy of people from all backgrounds learning to enjoy artistic expression through writing. 

“Creative writing can be daunting for some people because it is very personal,” Vogel said. “It can leave them feeling vulnerable. I hope this organization can be a safe space for people to feel comfortable, share ideas and learn to have fun with their imaginations.”

More information can be found on the Pen in Paw Instagram page.