April 16, 1999
By Ken Pagano
The Southwestern College Friends of the Library is sponsoring a semester-long series of educational events to discuss the effects of immigration. "This is the first time that such energy has been given to a book program that emphasizes education through popular reading," said Gustafson, SWC librarian.
Celebrating its second annual student essay contest, Friends of the SWC Library opened the discussion to the first chapter of "The Tortilla Curtain," written by T.C. Boyle. The student essay contest charged students to consider just who is a victim of the effects of immigration.
By urging students to dissolve stereotypes attributed to popular literature, the Friends of the Library are reaching to students to consider the impact of immigration at the social level through popular literature and film media. The Southwestern College Club Book Program began last spring.
The series ends May 5 with a reading at 6:30 p.m. from "The Tortilla Curtain" by Boyle himself, to which the public is invited. The winners of a student essay contest, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, will be announced that evening. Both activities will take place in the Student Union East on the college campus.
Last semester, students nominated a list of popular novels staff members considered for a new student-centered reading program. Over the summer a faculty committee read the nominations and selected the top three.
Using the first chapter as a jumping off point, the SWC Art Gallery and Photography Instructors Pasha Turley and Suzanne Luzzaro challenged students to visualize themes through black and white, color and progressive print formats.
Throughout the month of April, the Friends of the Library and faculty are featuring a three part series of films that address immigration issues. A Friday afternoon at the movies include El Norte, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez and Stand and Deliver.
The OtherSide of the Curtain, a one-act play based on the book is scheduled to be performed at Mayan Hall April 20.
The staff development department adopted the theme "Honor our unity, connect our differences" this year in response to the increasing ethnic and social diversity at Southwestern College. Through these events "we are showing the community that we are offering college cultural events for the public's enjoyment," said Gustafson.
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