When the humanities get a research grant and connect students who are driven to explore the concept of democracy on campus, student-led efforts like The Banned Book Club come to life. The Banned Book Club’s mission is to read banned books and spread the importance of democracy to our students. This event is put on by the Whitworth Democracy Lab.  

This research opportunity came about after Jessica Clements, associate professor of English at Whitworth University, and Bert Emerson, associate professor of English at Whitworth, received the Hugh Johnston Interdisciplinary Research Grant last year, according to Emerson. It allowed for the creation of The Banned Book Club by Sam Wisenor and Clements.

Christina Rabe, a political science major and English minor, discusses her role as a student researcher in the Democracy Lab. “This past summer, we, Dr. Emerson and Jessica Clements, got together, myself, Sam Wisenor, and Grace Hansen, student researchers, to sort of figure out democracy practices on campus and locally and how we can make this like almost organization and research lab up and running,” said Rabe.   

The Banned Book Club is an opportunity for democracy to flourish at Whitworth. “The Banned Book Club on campus really is following our mission statement for Democracy Lab,” said Rabe, “We’re really trying to enrich democratic practices and understandings, and democratic values overall in terms of what we’re wanting to see on campus and in our community.”  

Emerson gives additional insight into the role of the Democracy Lab on campus. “I have long been part of that role, you know, trying to provide high-impact practices for students who want to take advantage of research opportunities, internship opportunities off campus, learning opportunities,” said Emerson.

The Banned Book Club is a way for Whitworth students to have conversations about difficult topics. “One of the primary aims of colleges and universities across the country is that we are … preparing people to be citizens in a free nation that depend on the consent to be governed,” said Emerson. 

Spaces such as the Banned Book Club support those conversations. “People can learn, and people can hopefully be empowered to be informed participants in our democratic processes. The Banned Books Club is an important intellectual exercise,” said Emerson.  

The club is currently reading “1984” by George Orwell. The club intends to meet every two weeks, according to Rabe. “I think reading ‘1984,’ a lot of the themes of the book can sort of almost scarily be, I don’t know, reminiscent or resembling current life in some of our political and social climates,” said Rabe. 

The Banned Book Club is an opportunity that emerged from the Democracy Lab, with the intent of bringing students together to have challenging conversations, read impactful books and facilitate democratic practices through literature on campus.

To learn more about the Democracy Lab and hear updates about the Banned Book Club meetings, their Instagram is @democracylabatwhitworth, or visit their website.