The University Store has been hosting a banned book club for the past three months, allowing students to read and discuss several books previously banned in the United States, or currently banned in another country.
“The banned book club was started last semester,” Donna Witherspoon, Mass Market/trade Merchandiser at the University Store, said. “It was created to allow students to read banned books and discuss why the book was banned. It is a freedom of choice. We have a wall up at the University Store that stays up year round.”
This semester, the three books that have been discussed are “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy, “Hero” by Perry Moore and “The Headless Cupid” by Zilpha Snyder.
“Last month’s banned book was ‘The Headless Cupid,’ Witherspoon said. “It was banned because of the content being more than some thought a fifth grader should read.”
Witherspoon said she hopes students who participate in the banned book club see how harmful censorship can be.
“I would hope that students would realize that sometimes we make decisions that involve more than one thought process,” Witherspoon said. “In protecting one person from one thing, it takes away something from everyone else.”
During the monthly meetings, students meet to discuss the content of the books, as well as the decision to ban them.
“We meet and discuss the book and decide if we think it should be banned,” Witherspoon said. “We talk about why the book was banned and what you would do, if you would make the decision to ban it.”
The banned book club will resume in the fall semester and is open to all students.