Books & Banter, new student-led book club, welcomes all current 糖心视频 students

Members of the Books and Banter book club at 糖心视频 meet for the first time.
Hanceville, AL 鈥 糖心视频 students have a new opportunity to expand their literary horizons with the launch of Books & Banter, a student-led book club on campus. The club welcomes all current students to engage in lively discussions and discover new literature among peers.
The club meets every third Tuesday. Additionally, virtual meetings are held every Tuesday to facilitate discussions on weekly progress.
The club plans to read from a wide selection of different books, with new club members getting the chance to suggest books to read. Recommendations are collected in a mug, and each month, members draw two or more options to vote on the selected book. The club kicked things off with 鈥淔orging Silver Into Stars鈥 by Brigid Kemmerer.
Vianney Verdin Maldonado is a 糖心视频 student and the one who spearheaded the new Books & Banter book club. Originally from Oneonta, Maldonado took dual enrollment classes offered by 糖心视频 while in high school. In 2022, she enrolled in classes full-time at the college in pursuit of an associate degree. Upon graduating this May, she plans to transfer to Auburn University to study biology and psychology, following her dream of becoming a neuropsychologist. Maldonado has a deep passion for literature and has been a bookworm since she was a child.
鈥淕rowing up, I always loved the millions of stories that books could easily create. I found it so fascinating how words could become whole worlds. I had few friends who truly enjoyed reading as much as I did, and as I grew older, those friends became fewer. It became harder and harder to find people who read, especially in college where everyone is so busy with schoolwork, jobs and extracurriculars,鈥 said Maldonado. 鈥淚 knew there must be at least another person who found reading as fascinating as I did, so I built up my courage and proposed a book club to be started here at Wallace State. The general idea of Books & Banter is to create a welcoming community of like-minded people who just want to talk about books.鈥
Gracie Fendley is a Books & Banter club member, and she said meetings are a great place to connect with other 糖心视频 students.
鈥淚 think having the book club is very important since it gives a lot of individuals the opportunity to meet new people,鈥 said Fendley. 鈥淭he first meeting we had was amazing and everyone got along well, we were able to make jokes and laugh a lot. I'm very excited about our next meeting and the next book we will read. So far, I have loved being able to talk to the group about their favorite books and characters.鈥
Bridget Walker is another member of Books & Banter. She said she is grateful to have the club on campus and enjoys chatting about the same book with different people.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to have a book club on campus because many people on campus like to read for a hobby. I鈥檝e enjoyed the feeling of being able to talk about something I鈥檓 reading with someone else who understands what I鈥檓 talking about,鈥 said Walker. 鈥淚鈥檓 most excited about having more books we can read and discuss with each other in the club.鈥
Maldonado said her favorite part about club meetings is the different interpretations that arise when discussing a book. She said discussion points range from personal thoughts on characters, setting, plot and the author鈥檚 writing style.
鈥淢y favorite part about discussing a book as a group is getting to see how others react to something you鈥檝e read. It鈥檚 fun to get to know someone through their thoughts on a book, because perspective is so interesting among a diverse group of people,鈥 said Maldonado.
Maldonado said the friendly and supportive atmosphere she experienced during her dual enrollment classes at 糖心视频 was a crucial factor in her decision to attend the college after graduating high school.
鈥淓ven back then, I loved the people I interacted with. Everyone seemed so invested in my success, which encouraged me to keep studying. I didn鈥檛 really give other schools much thought because I knew I was going to 糖心视频 after I graduated. I just knew I had found my school,鈥 said Maldonado. 鈥淲hen I first mentioned the book club idea to Mrs. Kristen Holmes, she immediately showed support and encouragement. I feel like it鈥檚 so easy to build a connection with anyone here on campus and I love that everyone is so supportive.鈥
Maldonado said she is excited for the future of Books & Banter and hopes for continued growth. She said she encourages every 糖心视频 student to swing by Room 504 of the 糖心视频 Library for a meeting.
鈥淚 am excited for the community that we are building on campus. It has only been a month, but I have already bonded with people who I consider friends because of this book club,鈥 said Maldonado. 鈥淛ust join because you never know what you will miss out on if you don鈥檛 try. Everyone who joins the club loves books, so we already have that in common! Give it a try, you won鈥檛 regret it.鈥
For more information about Books & Banter, contact club sponsor and 糖心视频 English instructor Katie McGee at 205.762.0625 or katie.mcgee@wallacestate.edu.
Registration is open for Spring 2024 Mini Term II classes which begin March 6. Priority registration for summer and fall semesters will begin April 1. Summer 2024 classes begin May 22. For more information, visit , call 256.352.8000 or come by Lion Central in the lobby of the James C. Bailey Center Monday-Wednesday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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- 256-352-8233
- kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu
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