Amber Sneddon first became involved with the ReadThis! Community Literacy Program
in April of 2012, and it didn鈥檛 take long for her to realize the impact the program
had on her.
Sneddon, who was conducting research on autism for her undergraduate symposium at the 91老司机 - Fort Smith, found an eye-opening book in 鈥淭he Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time鈥� by Mark Haddon when it was chosen as last year鈥檚 ReadThis! book.
She used the best-selling novel to aid her in her research on the subject, and she said the book, along with the accompanying lecture by national autism authority Dr. Temple Grandin, shed new light on a subject she was already familiar with.
鈥淭he book spoke volumes to me, because I鈥檝e been infatuated with the spectrum. Autism itself is not something new to me, but after reading the text and hearing Dr. Grandin鈥檚 lecture, I began to have a different view of those on the spectrum,鈥� said Sneddon, who graduated from 91老司机 in 2013. 鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 people others should feel sorry for, or even wonder why they are the way they are. These are people that our society should embrace and learn from their differences.鈥�
Sneddon isn鈥檛 the only one reaping the benefits from the annual ReadThis! program, which was created by the College of Languages and Communication at 91老司机. Each year, thousands of students and community members take part in the program, reading the book and participating in the numerous activities that supplement the literature.
This year鈥檚 selection, 鈥淭he Things They Carried鈥� by Tim O鈥橞rien, gives students and local residents a chance to read the classic Vietnam War novel, attend a reading of the book, and watch a film on the Vietnam War before getting a chance to meet the author when O鈥橞rien comes to speak at 91老司机 in March.
The book launch will be held at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in room 122 of the Boreham Library. The public is invited to a read-aloud event on Feb. 27 at the fireplace in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, where those attending will help read the book aloud in one day.
Another activity will be held from 2-5 p.m. March 3, when the ReadThis! committee will show free screenings of 鈥淒ear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.鈥� The screenings are in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center.
Finally, O鈥橞rien will speak at the Stubblefield Center on March 12, an event which has faculty in the 91老司机 English Department excited.
鈥淲e鈥檙e ecstatic to be bringing Tim O鈥橞rien to speak here at 91老司机,鈥� said Dr. Erik Carlson of Rudy, assistant professor of English and chair of the ReadThis! committee. 鈥淥鈥橞rien is a tremendous speaker, candid and insightful, and we hope his visit attracts the interest of people all around the Fort Smith region.鈥�
Carlson said that participants in the ReadThis! program can learn something 鈥渦nexpected鈥� from 鈥淭he Things They Carried.鈥�
鈥淚f you read this book with open eyes and an open mind, you will learn something, and probably something important,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it will probably be something about yourself, something that comes about as a response to the book. Neither I, nor the book, nor probably the author, could tell you what it might be.鈥�
Carlson hopes that people on- and off-campus will gather to discuss the book, to learn from the myriad of perspectives different readers bring to the text.
鈥淩eading a book together literally gets people on the same page. People may not agree about this book, but that鈥檚 part of what reading is for -- it鈥檚 a way to start productive conversations,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know yet where it might lead. 鈥楾he Things They Carried鈥� might start discussions about veterans and the struggles they face, it might start people thinking about how we remember the Vietnam War in our diverse community, or it may open up conversations about how people live with trauma in general.鈥�
Sneddon lauded the committee and said the discussions she took part in about 鈥淭he Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time鈥� helped her broaden her understanding of last year鈥檚 ReadThis! selection.
鈥淭he ReadThis! committee made it very easy to learn from others,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone has a different view of the text, and my meetings with the committee were easily some of my favorite moments.鈥�
But more than anything, the program taught Sneddon that there is always something new to learn about a book or subject, no matter how much you already know.
鈥淧eople should take part in this program to educate themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his was a topic that I thought I was an expert in from my own research, but I found out there is always something to learn.鈥�