SUNYLA 2010...

Planning and Implementing Community Reading Initiatives: SUNY Fredonia's Experience

Presentation at SUNYLA 2010: An Information Odyssey
Presented By Randy Gadikian, Dawn Eckenrode and Scott Richmond

June 18, 2010

Powerpoint

More images from Dunkirk Lib. program!

Here are some images of the actors pre-performance (bottom), during the skit (middle), and in the climactic moment where Ambrosch is punched by Jim (top)!

The skit was narrated by Susan Kornacki and directed by Kyle Georger. Actors are wearing costumes styled by Susan, purchased at Salvation Army and reconstituted from Susan's wardrobe.

Photos from Dunkirk Free Library Big Read event!

Here are some images from our event at the Dunkirk Free Library. On Saturday, March 27 we installed a quilt display and served free pizza to audience members who viewed the display and a skit acted out by SUNY Fredonia students.

This event was hosted by Susan Kornacki and Kyle Georger.

Big Read Success at Dunkirk Free Library

A total success best describes our programming last Saturday at the Dunkirk Free Library. My partner Susan and I decided to take a specific scene in the book and add a little spice, as well as some "slap-stick" comedy.

Taking the scene with the horse collar, we made friends into actors. I asked my 5 housemates if they were willing to participate and right before I finished I saw the grins and smiles on all of their faces! They were in and did a fantastic job. I never thought they cold put it together as great as they did and trust me, if you knew them, you wouldn't have either!

Our programing started around 1:15 in the afternoon as we waited for some of the children downstairs to finish their crafts and come up and join the festivities. We provided pizza for all the guests, giving them something to munch on during the skit.

Following the successful skit, we opened the floor to the audience. Many complemented our decision-making, as we used a male to play the role of the "Antonia" character, adding comedy and many laughs throughout.

We also had to make a quick audible during the performance as we found out our quilting demo had to be canceled due to a family emergency, yet we carried on and allowed our guests to walk around the library and notice the quilts we hung the previous day.

Overall, the presentation was great and the programing and preparation in the end blew me away. I couldn't believe with our busy and somewhat conflicting schedules how successful we actually made it! We had fun and met new friends, what more could you ask for!

Campus Community Comes Out for Reading at Reed Library

This was certainly my first exposure to Willa Cather, as was the case for fellow group members Jillian Ziemianski and Paul Beverly. We were assigned to our very own Reed Library, at first a cause for celebration because it meant that we would be on familiar territory and within walking distance of any event that we planned to promote the book. However, the more we discussed our possibilites, the more we realized what working on a project of this stature, well within the realm of the professional and academic environment really meant. Soon, the pleasant dream of a nice and quiet round table discussion with wine and cheese faded away for us just as it began to take shape and come alive for many of our classmates. This was going to have to be on a bigger scale of events, with a more intensive amount of research and networking than we had anticipated. Putting on an event for the campus community definitely required a critical lens that would motivate people to want to attend the event, or perhaps even want to participate.

Reading of My Antonia: a dramatic adaptation Performed by Prof. Ted Sharon as "Jim" and student, Kathleen Grace Fiori, as "Antonia."

It was through Cather’s own sexuality that we developed an introspective lens, thus deciding that gender roles and homosexuality would play a key part in the theme of the event. Another thing that we realized was that because of the size of the event, direct discussion of the novel would be more difficult than it would have been in a smaller library setting. This prompted us to rethink our own personal goals of the event. We were not going to be directly engaging people in a campus wide discourse but instead encouraged them to do it on their own through a selection of works that we would have campus members read aloud and explain how it pertained to the novel. With the a great amount of help from our Reed Librarians, Dawn Eckenrode and Scott Richmond, we were able to do some real public relations work not often seen in your typical undergraduate English class in order to enlist the help of other campus faculty members.

Highlights of the event included a reading of a section of the novel relating to young women growing up on the prairie by Professor Aimee Nezhukumatathil, a reading of Walt Whitman’s Pioneers, O Pioneers! By Professor Dustin Parsons, (a short film about Cather's sexual identity donated by Dr. Adrienne McCormick,) an essay by Truman Capote about his experiences meeting Cather as a young writer read by Dawn Eckenrode, a portion of the Eclogues by Virgil was read by Dr. John Arnold and A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf was read by Dr. Jeanette McVicker. Student readers included Allison Murray and Brian Fanelli as well as a theatrical rendition of the end of novel’s ending by Ted Sharon and his students Jessica St. George and Kathleen Grace Fiori. On behalf of my group, we would like to thank Reed Library Director, Randy Gadikian and everyone who helped with the event or took the time to attend.

View photos of this and other Big Read events on Flickr.

Posted by: Cais Jurgens

The Big Read Program at the Chautauqua County Home

Greetings everyone!

I just wanted to add my two cents about how my experience presenting at the Chautauqua County Home was. I do have some experience volunteering with my family at the Erie County Home. At times, it can be painfully depressing and quite honestly, heartbreaking. Seeing elderly men and women without families, sitting outside of their rooms just waiting for visitors is almost too much to take. Any empathetic heart could hardly handle it. I have to say, this "Big Read" experience was absolutely, incredibly positive. It went way beyond any expectations that I had.

I never expected to be so affected by the men and women that took time out of their days to come and spend time with us. I presented on the roles of women during the time of the novel and brought in a large display of how this was exemplified in the advertisements and magazines of the time. The response from each person who attended was simply phenomenal. Alongside my presentation partner, Lauren Kerzee, we were blessed to have the residents open up and tell personal stories that I never anticipated. Hearing each person's thoughts on the novel (so many of them READ!) was mind-blowingly rewarding. Lauren and I both smile that in our limited contact we really did make great connections with them.

In particular, hearing one resident speak of his years as an author, poet, and minister was so enlightening. Honestly, that was the best part of this entire experience. Simply talking to each of these men and women was just awesome. They were so excited to have us there visiting with them, and it really left like they got so much out of us visiting. This experience was incredibly enlightening to the fact that at any age, no one stops having that thirst to learn something new.

Chautauqua County Home

The Big Read Event at the Chautauqua County Home was simply amazing. The residents were eager to discuss their ideas, which led to interesting discussions. Our class learned as much from them as they did from us. One resident, Joe, was reading My Antonia for the second time and had a notebook in which he kept ideas to bring up once we got there.
I discussed gender, marriage, and the problems of Jim Burden as a narrator, which generated lively discussions with those that had completed the book and others who shared stories from their lives. It was awesome to see them get so involved in the text, and I hope that the residents who hadn't finished the book have been inspired to do so since we left.
All of the residents expressed a desire to learn and become involved in the text. I enjoyed sharing my research with them, but it was their ideas and comments that were really the highlight of the event. Each of their ideas has inspired me and furthered my understanding of My Antonia.
I plan on going back to the home and visiting, especially my new Facebook friend Frances.

Lauren Kerzee, English 600