The Herald-Times
Ivy Tech to host read-in in student commons Thursday
By Mike Leonard
331-4368 | mleonard@heraldt.com
March 7, 2013
Ivy Tech Community College will celebrate its third annual Read Across America Day Thursday by providing a forum for people to read up to 10-minute passages from books either banned or challenged with removal from schools and libraries.
The event runs 2-6 p.m. in the student commons of the Connie and Steve Ferguson Academic Building at 200 Daniels Way.
Many time slots already have been spoken for by students, faculty and staff, but there likely will be openings throughout the day for the general public, according to English professor Elizabeth Starr. Invariably, she said, some scheduled readers fail to show up or don’t use all of their allotted time.
Readers can take their own books or choose from a selection on-site.
“We’re starting to get a feel of a tradition with this event,” Starr said. “Readers who have read one year get the bug and want to do it again.”
The event is free, and some people attend not intending to read themselves but to hear the readers and the books they’ve chosen. Starr said selections run the gamut from banned and challenged children’s books to Harry Potter novels, the Bible and classic banned books such as Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.”
Read Across America Day occurs every year on or around the birthday of “Dr. Seuss” — Theodore Geisel. The Dr. Seuss book, “The Lorax,” once was challenged as unfair to the logging industry and will be read Thursday.
In addition, students are running a book drive through March 22 to collect paperback books for Boxcar Books and the Midwest Pages to Prisoners project. Bins will be located throughout Ivy Tech’s main campus.
Those who donate books or volunteer to read at the Read Across America Day event Thursday will receive an “I Read Banned Books” button or free brownies/chocolate truffles supplied by Chef Jeff Tabor’s Ivy Tech hospitality students.
The event is hosted by students in Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s American Literature After 1865 service-learning class and the Creative Writing Club.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
