If you could send one message to the world, what would you say?
In the Thoughtful Book Club, you might find yourself looking for a deeper answer to questions like this one. From silly questions to personal questions to honest questions, it’s impossible to know what you’ll be answering next.
The Thoughtful Book Club was newly formed this year by CHS junior Jocelyne Bruno with the goal of getting students to communicate with each other and have deeper conversations without the use of technology. Meetings are held in French teacher Suzanne Marden’s room for students to ask one another questions from various books of discussion prompts.
“In the back of the room I have these books, and kids would start to pull books them out and ask each other questions.” Marden says. “It eventually turned into them meeting up here, wanting to have deeper conversation.”
If you could alter the past in any way, what would you change?
Students first answered the above question with the unanimous answer of slavery, but soon began to think deeper about their responses. The club aims to make students think harder than just their initial thoughts and look closer at how they might truly feel. This encourages students to learn more about themselves and the way they think.
“I’d like to make it so that humans have less hate for each other over history,” junior Kevin Kamm says.
Do you think the world will be a better place 100 years from now?
Think of what your initial answer to the question above might have been, and then think a bit harder. Many of the student answers will make you think to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Responses can be as personal, honest or lengthy as students choose. More philosophical questions get students to discuss answers with one another and can even improve their debating skills.
If you could invite three people over for dinner, who would they be?
“Being in Mrs. Marden’s class last year and seeing how much fun people had answering the questions… eventually inspired us to make it a club,” Bruno says.
Members are allowed to abstain from answering, as the French teacher cites the club as a safe area for students.
“They’ve established their own kind of norm,” the club adviser says. “They don’t have to speak if they don’t want to. The club is a safe environment. You answer what you feel safe answering, you share what you feel safe sharing.”
The club is scheduled to meet Mondays in Room 26 during lunch.
-Kylie Yeatman
