Club spotlight: Classic books and short stories
Alex White ‘23 has just started a brand new club called the Classic Books and Short Stories Club that will focus on reading different Classic novels together and discussing characters, the authors, and analyzing different aspects of the books. 
White decided to start this club because she and her younger brother began to read significantly more books during quarantine and she became inspired to read classic American and English novels outside of an academic English class setting. She was also inspired by all of the literary movements she learned about in Honors American Literature last year. Because the curriculum moves so quickly, she wants to provide a space to go more in depth about different authors and literary movements without the stress of a pop quiz or test. The club is going to be very flexible and members will get opportunities to recommend their own favorite classics for the club to read together. She hopes to create a club where people can take their time reading these great works of literature and have a place to relieve stress.
The moderator for this club this year will be Mr. Schaefer. He is an Honors English 10 and English 9 teacher this year. White was a former student of his and when she asked him to moderate her club he was very honored. He thinks that this is a wonderful opportunity to share their love of literature with SJC students. Some of his personal favorite classics are works by Charles Dickens, Shakespeare plays, great Russian literature, and 20th century works such as The Great Gatsby and Invisible Man.
The first book that the club will be reading together this year is The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. White has not read this book yet and is excited to share this new experience with everyone in the club. It is only around 100 pages long and contains a lot of exciting science fiction and philosophical elements. She thinks it will be a good read and not too intimidating for anyone just joining the club. Some other authors White hopes to explore this year are Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and Jane Austen but she says that it will really be open to what members of the club want to read together.
After debuting her club at the Activities Fair, White hopes to find a large audience in the sophomores. She knows that a lot of the authors that the club will be covering will overlap with what is discussed in tenth grade English as well. She thinks that this club will be a great supplement for tenth graders and that an opportunity to go more in depth will be an asset to them in class.
White is advertising the club as a de-stresser. She wants it to be a contrast to the busy school day. In the weeks leading up to midterms, White is planning to show movie adaptations in the club to help people leave their school worries at the door.
The new Classic Books and Short Stories club will be meeting on Wednesdays in room 106 from 3 to 3:45.
