Drury’s student-run literary magazine, Currents, asks students to create art for this year’s issue titled “Multiplicities”. On Feb. 23 at 5 p.m., students will channel their inner children for a group scribble at the Rose O’Neill House on campus.

Currents in the Classroom

Currents was founded by former student Eric Ferguson to give himself and his peers a creative outlet. Now, the literary magazine has become a Drury staple that circulates over 200 copies per issue.

Students contribute to and produce each issue. Professor Jo Van Arkel’s Small Press Publishing class put the issue together last semester.

The class broke into teams to mimic an editorial staff, explained Madeline Dale.

“We had a group of copy editors, who read the pieces and looked for errors in the text like commas, misspellings and grammar things that are in any context incorrect,” said Dale. “We also had a graphic design team, who came up with ideas for the layout and the cover.”

Senior Trevor Cobb led the design team in the fall. After the class’s conclusion, Cobb took on the role of the issue’s graphic designer.

Cobb believes the class not only gave students a way to express themselves but also provided an opportunity for them to participate in the types of projects they could encounter in their careers.

“It really allowed English and writing students to get professional, hands-on experience in the field of publication and creation,” he said. “As part of that, we all worked on Currents together. Everyone in that class has played a role in the conceptualization, creation and the general idea and product of what Currents is going to be.”

Multiplicities Theme

This year’s theme for Currents is multiplicities.

Cobb said, “We wanted to focus on all of the things that make us human, the complexities of humanity, and how sometimes you can have two different identities or things about yourself that seem like they conflict. In reality, everyone is a complex person full of multiplicities.”

The issue also offered contributors the choice to remain anonymous, which is a first for the publication.

Dale explained that the idea behind the optional anonymity was to take the pressure off contributors. She suggested that some students do not limit their subject, tone or style when they believe their writing is anonymous.

“Their name being anonymous on the piece allows them to put it out into the world without it becoming a label,” said Dale.

Group Scribble

After the Currents team received pieces from students, they grouped them into three categories, which became the sections of the issue.

“At the group scribble, you will be able to scribble the background for the section introductions. There will be three pages there that will have the prompt with whatever the section headline is,” said Cobb.

Students can scribble however they want. However, Cobb asks that students do not draw. At this event, only scribbling is allowed.

“We want to keep it pretty abstract, and part of that is we don’t want a specific image of a specific thing as the background,” said Cobb. “It’s supposed to let your emotional side take over and see how can you reflect [the prompts] with a collection of lines or scribbles.”

If you have a favorite marker, crayon or pen, bring it—and a friend—to the event.

“Multiplicities” will be released during the English Symposium in April.

Leave your mark, or scribble, on Drury’s history by participating in the creation of this year’s edition of Currents.