The life of a high schooler is stressful, with an overpacked schedule that keeps students in a constant battle to find a balance between sports, clubs, and schoolwork. This unfortunate fact makes it difficult for teenagers to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, whether it be playing outside with friends, finishing a favorite TV series, or reading a book for leisure.
Ignacio Guerra, a junior at Ramapo High School, attempted to fix this dilemma. With the creation of Ramapo’s first-ever book club, Ignacio hoped to offer students a place to read free from annotations, analyses, and assessments. He commented, “I enjoy the independent reading we do in class, but it always felt like a chore […] This club is a space for students who like English class’ independent reading without the assignments and projects.” This ingenuity is nothing less than a demonstration of the determination and strong initiative of the Ramapo student body.
Ignacio began the process of creating Ramapo’s book club in March of last year. He explained, “We meet once every two weeks [on Wednesdays] after school for around 30 minutes. Members read until a certain page/chapter and then meet to discuss their thoughts and comments regarding what they read. The only real requirement is to read.”
Ms. Michels, an English teacher at Ramapo High School, was approached by Ignacio about being the advisor for his club. She was ecstatic at the offer to work with a familiar face from her sophomore English class last year. Ms. Michels believes that “the book club provides a space for students to unwind, enjoy a good book, and share their thoughts with peers in a low-pressure environment. Students enjoy a healthy break from technology, and it is my hope that they will realize that reading is not just a task for school, but can be pleasurable and enriching.”
Ramapo’s Book Club is an exciting new opportunity at Ramapo for bibliophiles and book agnostics alike! Consider joining the book club if you are looking for a stress-free opportunity to explore and expand a passion for reading!
