Methodist College is once again partnering with Peoria Reads! as part of a community-reading program. The Methodist College Reads (MC Reads) initiative coincides with the Peoria Reads! community program. The reading program is designed to bring the college community together through the reading and discussion of a common text.
The book selected for the 2018 program is Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast, a longtime cartoonist for the New Yorker. The book tells the story of Chast's parents' final years through cartoons, family photos, found documents and narrative prose.
Faculty will be incorporating the book into assignments to promote an integrative learning environment. Among the many benefits, the program will give Methodist College students a common topic of dialogue, increased student involvement, intellectual engagement, community building, and will encourage reading and lifelong learning for our students. The college wide benefits include an integrative learning environment, increased interaction between diverse groups, shared goals, and will foster a culture of collaboration and community on campus.
The MC Reads! committee will host several events for the Methodist College community and a larger event open to the public. The MC Reads! committee has organized the following activities to date:
Book Discussion Sessions - Room W178
- Thursday, Sept. 20, 10 - 11 a.m. - The Ups and Downs of Aging, moderated by Margie Getz
- Wednesday, Oct. 24, 10 - 11 a.m. - The Scary Stuff About End of Life, moderated by Dr. Octavian Gabor
- Monday, Nov. 12, 10 - 11 a.m. - Art as Therapy, moderated by Sara Diemer
In addition, the committee will be organizing several movie viewings, leading off with the Disney Pixar movie classic, Up on September 18 and 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The college will also host a community event in March. Details are forthcoming.
Lead partners for Peoria Reads! are Peoria Public Library and Common Place. Each year a variety of other community organizations participate including Bradley University, Illinois Central College, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Delta Kappa Gamma, Methodist College, Peoria Public Schools and Notre Dame High School and others. Peoria Reads! was founded in 2002.