Logan McGaheran
Second-years Melanie Leverich and Bella Stadheim share a laugh as they decorate their bookmarks with colored pencils and an array of colorful tassles.
On Nov. 13, Hamline’s very own Book Society featured a bookmark-creating event, a chance for avid readers to DIY their own bookmarks completely free of charge. Book Society is a relatively new organization here at Hamline, only being 2 years old, and the board was thrilled with the turnout for both their tabling occasion as well as the bookmark-creating event.
“The turnout has been a lot better [this year regarding] people who genuinely care about [the club], rather than showing up for the sake of a free book,” third-year Book Society secretary Makayla Hegg said.. This is her second year involved with the executive board.
“I was surprised [of the turnout] because we don’t have the same level of marketing or budget as larger scale organizations at Hamline,” fourth-year and treasurer Carmen Garcia adds, “It was a really good thing to see.”
. As one of the smaller organizations on campus, which means less resources, they continually need to think of creative ways to draw in new members and keep them interested, all with a cheap price tag to work with. The DIY aspects of the bookmark event were a fun and fresh way to meet all of these demands.
“It went from no talking [at the start of the event] and everyone whispering to everyone laughing and having a good time,” Garcia said about the event.
“Considering we only had [a] limited [amount of] responses on surveys we’ve sent out and all that, we’ve had well over the number [show] than we thought,” Hegg said..
Book Society makes a crucial point on the importance of reading outside of a school setting. Reading has a lot of positive effects on the mind like stress reduction and relaxation. It also provides a sense of empathy in the reader through insight into other perspectives and human experiences. Reading is also extremely valuable in a therapeutic sense, helping individuals connect with the challenges occurring in these stories.
“I think it’s vital for our mental health and well-being as a whole,” Hegg said.
“Being able to relate [with] inexperience in a book, or realizing that it’s not a bad thing to think [or feel a certain way]. It is a very human thing, and [reading is] a really healthy way to [grasp] that.” Garcia said about mental health and bringing together fictional perspectives and real ones.
“Books are a universal thing,” Garcia said. “It’s not like a super niche club or organization. So people from all majors and all different grade levels can join and talk about books.” Book Society offers a sense of community and connection with others who enjoy reading and talking about books. This bookmark-creating event was a smashing success for the organization, and doubled as validation that small organizations around campus can reach students and grow bigger.