Books and Bagels Grows

Books and Bagels club at Hastings Senior High has seen a significant increase of student participants this year following the Freshmen Activity Fair.

This year, Books and Bagels expects to triple its number to about 30 members instead of ten. In earlier years, there were only four or five members, mostly teachers.

“I think the fact that it’s both students and teachers increasing the numbers means that there’s that interaction for student and adult interaction, which I think is very positive,” Club Member David Witt said.

Books and Bagels had a booth at the Freshman Activity Fair on August 12. The booth had a lot of visitors, which increased the club’s sign-ups.

“I felt super excited for a couple of reasons. One of them was that our school is doing more to get students involved so that they can find their place,” Books and Bagels Host Jenelle Gegg said. “The second was that it shows we have people who love to read, and it’s not due to anything other than their own personal interest.”

Current members bringing in their friends is also a reason more people have joined the club.

“I think a lot of friends bring friends in and it makes them more comfortable,” Witt said.

Having more new members has changed the environment of Books and Bagels during discussion times. The larger group splits off into smaller groups to share their comments on the book.

“It has really increased the engagement. Those smaller groups feel like they can share more of their ideas,” Gegg said. “They’re less intimidated to express their thoughts or ask questions.”

Though the environment has changed with the club’s growth, the people have not.

“I think you always have a mix of people. You have those who really want to get their voice heard, and then, you have other people who just want to sit and listen. And, either one is fine,” Witt said.

Activities during the year make getting everyone to attend Books and Bagels difficult to arrange at times, for example, students in marching band and spring activities because of their early practice hours. When it is time for finals, Books and Bagels does discuss how to move forward with their meetings.

“I’m super excited that they are involved in multiple activities at school,” Gegg said. “It does create a conflict… [but] It’s totally fine for them to come and go as they find it convenient for them.”

Books and Bagels meets every Friday at 7:30 a.m. in the bottom floor library. Even with a now larger group, Books and Bagels always encourages more to join and connect with one another.

“If you’re on the fence about whether you should join a book club or not, I would say, dip your toe into the water and give it a try,” Gegg said. “You might find that one of the books that we choose is a good fit for you, and that maybe gets you started on your reading journey.”