Source: The Xavierite
On Oct. 12, The Political Science Forum, with local bookstore Bookies, hosted a book fair to raise awareness for banned books and spark the forum’s engagement with the Saint Xavier community for this semester.
The Political Science Forum is one of the many RSOs at SXU, though recently they’ve found themselves in a sort of limbo according to Myah Bawadi, the president of the forum. With the Bookies pop-up, she, alongside VP Kaalyn Daughrity and Treasurer Joshua Bernal, hopes to change that.
The purpose of the Forum is to, “get our diverse student body more politically informed, and politically involved” according to Bawadi, who reached out to Bookies to organize the sale. Her intent was to shed light on the banning of books, which has been a hot political topic in recent years. As an author and avid reader, she believes that literature is an important part of freedom of speech.
Of the bannings, Bawadi said, “It is so incredibly saddening to see perspectives get erased because of biases and racism from those in positions of power.
Bookies is a bookstore based in Beverly. In recent years they’ve become an active component of the community, supporting 4book clubs, hosting pop-ups, and publishing the work of local authors. As Bookies branches out, they want to foster a love of literature in its patrons and expose people to a wide variety of perspectives.
Prior to his ownership of Bookies, Keith Lewis taught in Chicago public schools, and the importance of education is certainly a value he has taken with him. The bookstore engages with academic spaces to provide books to children and students, in order to cultivate a love of literature and expose the youth of Oak Lawn to many different perspectives.
Store manager Rich Wojcikowski, who ran the pop-up stated, “It’s a whole world of ideas out there” and that it’s important to explore all that books have to offer. He is very connected with the arts and has created a strong relationship with SXU in recent years.
During the sale, books of all genres were sold, including mystery and sci-fi novels, classic pieces from Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe, the memoirs of major political figures, and even manga from the popular series “My Hero Academia.”
The focus on Banned Books Week, which has been an annual fall event since 1982, was chosen for its focus on the politics of art. The week was established to challenge the banning of texts in schools and to ensure that people across the nation have access to the varying views of the most prominent authors.
The members of the Political Science Forum believe that people deserve equal access to literature, not only as a form of entertainment but as a form of discovery as well. They recognize the power novels have to transform one’s mind, and hope that with the pop-up sale, they were able to bring something new and inspiring to SXU.
Currently, SXU doesn’t have a physical bookstore, a lack that was felt during the pop-up. Many students, and even a few faculty members, bought novels they were interested in, showing how important reading is to the student body, and how Bookies fills that need for many SXU students.
The Political Science Forum and Wojcikowski hope that they can hold another pop-up in the spring, and even make the sale an annual event. In the near future, Bernal wants to work with the Pre-Law Society at SXU to host weekly political debates and cover the 2024 presidential election. He not only wants to engage the minds of Saint Xavier students, he also wants to give them a platform to make their voices heard.
*This article was edited on Oct. 25 at 4:02 p.m. to correct information. The Homewood location of Bookies is not open.*