Saint Francis’ Literary Club is gearing up for the 2014-15 academic year and its adviser and members are looking to get the word out about the club to freshman students and others who might not know much about it.

“The club has a lot to offer students,” said Lauri Chose, an associate professor in the Literature and Languages Department who serves as the club’s adviser.

The club has attended plays in nearby cities, including Pittsburgh and State College, in previous semesters. Similar trips are being planned for this year.

Junior Literature and Languages major Tara Fritz serves as president of the Literary Club.

“We want to do a book drive for ‘Books of Africa’ this semester,” said Fritz. “Next semester, we might try to bring back the Valentine’s Day poetry reading.”

The “club” is also under a new name this semester. It was formerly known as the “Literary Guild.”

“The officers changed it to the ‘Literary Club’ so students understand more of what it is,” said Chose. “They felt the word ‘guild’ might be lost amongst students.”

Fritz said she heard about the organization when she was a freshman.

“I went to the involvement fair and they had a booth there. It was the only English club (on campus) then, so I was like, ‘this sounds like something I want to do.’”

Students from all majors are welcome to join the club and the group is hoping to recruit from all four of SFU’s schools.

Sophomore strategic communications major Shelby Bowen is a member of the club. She said that the organization is open to new ideas and can be whatever its members want it to be.

Chose agreed.

“There’s a lot of room for new ideas,” said the club’s adviser. “If a student wanted to join and, say they wanted to go to a Broadway show in New York City and plan a whole weekend in New York City – there’s room for that.

“There’s room for all kinds of things that the club might not be (currently) doing.”

Bowen said that members can get as involved as their schedules allow.

“It’s very low stress. We’re very flexible. It’s a lot of fun, and you don’t have to be a bookworm. You can watch ‘The Hunger Games’ and talk about that.

“The club is what you want it to be.”

For more information about the club, contact club president Tara Fritz at tlf100@francis.edu.