Whether you prefer pen, pencil, markers or even crayons, writing is part of everyday life and has been for thousands of years. However, everyone has preferences in how they make their writing unique.

“Pencils are just easier,” junior Maddie Johnson said. “You can make as many mistakes as you want and be able to erase them without any problem.”

Pencils offer a form of writing that can be changed if needed and is never set in stone. This makes them very popular because a standard pencil is cheap and easy. However, for some, the writing experience can be perfected with a certain kind of pencil.

“I prefer specifically mechanical pencils,” junior Chance Franks said. “You can use it over and over and just refill the lead instead of sharpening it.”

The affordability and versatility of pencils is a wonderful thing, but on the other side of the spectrum is a more permanent and elegant medium of writing… the pen. 

“I personally prefer pens but end up losing them all,” junior Bella Bertagnole said. “They write smoother but losing them all means I have to buy more.”

Ballpoint pens aren’t expensive but do cost more than a pack of #2 pencils. Some pens, such as fountain pens, can get extremely pricey and cost hundreds of dollars

“I think pens are more professional (especially red, dark blue and black pens) than pencils when it comes to more official documents and important assignments,” junior Elle Wilson said. “Basically, having pens as my main writing utensil helps to keep most anything I write more professional, neat and organized.”

It would be naive to assume that the choice is black and white between pen and pencil. There may be some outliers that prefer fine tip markers, and even some that prefer the colorful alternative known as crayons. 

“My favorite writing utensil is crayons,” sophomore Salem Brown said. “Generally my homework is not good. Using crayons changes that for me. My favorite crayon color is magenta.”

Brown may have a slightly less popular preferred writing utensil, but the life it brings to the paper, and the color it sprouts is unmatched.