Pipers started off the spring semester with free books, lemonade, cookies and more crafts and stickers than they knew what to do with on Monday, Jan. 27’s “Welcome Week Book Giveaway” hosted by the Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB).
As students finished up their first day of classes and made their way up to Anderson 304 for the event, they were met with a wide array of free books, including genres such as romance, fantasy, realistic fiction, sci-fi, nonfiction and more.
There were many titles offered, such as “She Gets the Girl,” a lesbian romance co-written by wives Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick, and “The Latehomecomer,” a memoir by Kao Kalia Yang about her life as a refugee and Hmong immigrant. Also included was “Small Miracles,” a comedic fantasy romance by Olivia Atwater about a less than successful fallen angel, “Red Rising,” a science fiction novel by Pierce Brown about an oppressed class living below the surface on Mars and “Big Chicas Don’t Cry,” a contemporary romance by Annette Chavez Macias about love, loss and family.
After attendees grabbed the novel of their choice, they were greeted with plenty of snacks, drinks and crafts to keep them and their books company. The room was filled with laughter and conversations about favorite novels all around. However, putting this event together was not easy.
“This is a traditional event that HUPB has done in the past, even before I was on the board, during welcome weeks, spring or fall,” HUPB’s Homegrown Programmer Nicole De Los Santos said. “So a lot of what went into [the event] was placing Amazon orders for the books, like thousands of books, looking through. And then, just trying to not look at the huge money total at the end.”
De Los Santos hoped that the event would push people to read new things, make new friends and have a good time.
“I want people to read,” De Los Santos said. “I want people to get out and read, and read something that maybe they haven’t read before, push people outside of their comfort zone, and just like, come get a book, make some friends.”
Pipers certainly enjoyed all the effort that had been put into the event. First-year Claire Kerber enjoyed the wide variety of book-themed stickers.,
“The sticker table called my name immediately. The music is definitely setting a mood, so you know, I’m having the time of my life.” Kerber said.
First-year Addison Dorr also enjoyed the energy of the event as well as the variety of books available, as the event was a place for students to come together and talk about their love of books.
“I really like the event. It has a good atmosphere, plus the drinks over there. I like the books. They have a lot of diversity, more than I’ve seen in the books I read in middle and high school,” Dorr said.
First-year Trina Morlock professed that books, while entertainment, can also offer new perspectives, connections and friendships.
“I enjoy reading because it lets me experience other things that I couldn't have otherwise,” Morlock said. “It also lets me connect with people. Like, I came to this event because I wanted to be with my friends as well, and I get to talk to people about books that I read.”
Throughout the event, the room was packed with book lovers, ready to bring in the new semester with one of their favorite pastimes: reading. De Los Santos said the event accomplished what it set out to become: a place for students to gather, feel safe and have fun.
“This is a friendly environment,” De Los Santos said. “And, you know, that’s all we want.”