W.O.R.D. welcomes creatives on campus

Janel Dawson is a rising Senior double majoring in English and creative writing with a minor in informatics. Outside of class, Janel loves to listen to music!

W.O.R.D., which stands for Writers Organizing Realistic Dialect, is an organization that was recently brought back by five students dedicated to providing a safe, open, and welcoming environment for creatives on campus. As part of W.O.R.D., students are able to express themselves with other like-minded individuals. The organization was initially founded by two performers in 2009 who dreamed of a place where people could come together and be their authentic and creative selves. W.O.R.D. is widely known for its executive board being active performers in different regards, providing entertainment and relevance due to the diverse topics spoken on or performed with. Although the name may give the impression that the main focus of the organization is for writers in fields like fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, we are a space for any and all kinds of creative expressions. On our team alone we have fiction writers, poets, graphic designers, journalists, and actors. Beyond that, we create space for singers, rappers, photographers, and more. Anything that you feel is a creative way to express yourself, we would love to see you thrive in it. Two common questions we get when we talk about the kind of events we do are “What if I’m not that?” and “What if I’ve never done it before?” Although it may seem intimidating to join a new organization or club, one of our goals is for people to also come and find out something new about themselves. We pride ourselves in the community we have been growing over the year with those who come and share the space with us wherever we go. From Friday night cyphers, to poetry slams, fiction workshops, and acting 101, W.O.R.D. is the place where you will always be able to do what you love or try something new.