By Jessica Klinner
What brings people together in the name of academic learning and fun? A book club, of course! AUM’s Common Reading Program, AUM Connected, is cultivating the largest book club in the Montgomery area. Every school year a book is chosen to be read campus and community wide. The 2014-2015 selection, “Big Fish,” is already making a big splash on campus.
Dr. Lee Farrow, Associate Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and co-chair of the Common Reading Committee, sits in her office decked out in zombie apparel. She has just returned from the SOLA’s Zombie Bash and energetically discusses the upcoming events planned in association with “Big Fish.” The most anticipated of the events is the talk with author Daniel Wallace followed by a showing of the film adaptation of the novel and a book signing. Other events include several lectures by faculty members, a social media guided treasure hunt and a community wide book signing with Wallace.
When the program started three years ago, there was a very small number of participants. Over the years, Farrow and the rest of the committee have worked to make the program more appealing to students and their various interests. “It’s a way to try and get students involved in the university, allow students to meet one another and to interact with faculty in a non-threatening setting,” Farrow said.
With a variety of events prepared for the fall semester, the program will have no problem drawing in a diverse crowd of students. The best thing about the program is that the students, faculty and staff at AUM have a say in which book is chosen. Suggestions from the campus are submitted to a committee, who take the best suggestions and narrow them down to six books. Once the final books have been decided on, the students, faculty and staff of AUM vote on which one they want to be featured as the official book of the Common Reading Program for the next school year. This method allows students to be actively involved in the program. “We really want this to be a program that appeals to people all over campus regardless of their major or their specialty,” Farrow said.
Beyond campus, AUM Connected aims to get the community involved by offering a special book signing with Wallace at Capitol Books and News as well as a screening of “Big Fish”at the Capri in Old Cloverdale. “We are a resource here in Montgomery, and I’d like to see the community benefit from that,” Farrow said.
The Common Reading Program is also holding a contest called “Picture Me Reading.” This is the second installment in the contest, which asksthose wanting to be involved with the program to take a picture of themselves reading “Big Fish” and email it to Farrow. Submissions for the fall term are due by Jan. 15 and can be sent to lfarrow@aum.edu for consideration. The year of Big Fish will culminate with an event in early March called “AUM Reads” that will feature speakers, events, and a movie, all tied to the theme of reading for fun and self-edification.