The Read-A-Thon took place in LaGuardia on April 2016. Every year this event is conducted by many of the staff inside the Community College who are trying to reach out to students giving them an opportunity to share their work, with no restriction other than the piece that will be shown must be a personal piece. Poetry, Photographs, Music, everything that could be named as "art" presented by, not only students, professors and everyone who belonged to the LaGuardiaTeam.
Creative expression and support of creativity is one of the important aspects of what college really is. Finding yourself within "the arts" requires guidance and encouragement from the people who understand, appreciate and respect anyone who has the courage to share their pieces, and this is one of the goals of the Read-A-Ton.
I asked two of the professors who take part in the team that creates this event every year in concern to their opinion and point of view about the Read-A-Thon. Professor Kristen Gallagher, who was hired in 2007, made clear that Creative Writing was not acknowledged in LaGuardia at the time and this seemed off to her. With only one Creative Writing class and no Creative Writing majors or clubs, Professor Gallagher felt the need to take hands in the matter, which is why she embarked on teaching in the only Creative Writing class at LaGuardia and with other fellow professors decided to begin this kind of event to "build a community that constructs a connection and involves everybody".
Professor Carrie Conners, a professor in the English department and part of the staff who created this event, gave me a brief description of what they expect to accomplish every year they plan the Read-A-Thon. "Creating a platform for the many voices that we have here at LaGuardia and giving the opportunity for people to share their work and have an audience who they can connect with is one of the main goals of the event. Also, being inclusive and receiving support from an amazing audience who is carefully listening and is also ready to share, provides warmth and confidence."
This type of event has a positive outcome not only community wise but also personally wise. Erick Taveras, a Journalism Student at LaGuardia, expressed how content the event made him feel and how the validation he received from the public contributed the confidence he needed to start being more open to these type of events and communities. "I would absolutely go back. This event changed the way I feel about public speaking and performing."
It is necessary for us to understand that these events carry a huge importance for students and faculty. They provide the opportunity to connect with each other, the inspiration to engage in the arts and the support that is needed to keep creating.
