NCTE-SA Meeting Minutes for April 5, 2006

1. Thank-you notes to last week's teacher panelists are in the works.  Thanks to all who attended!

2. Our next and final meeting of this semester is April 20th at 5:30.  Meet by the office.  We'll talk about the end-of-the-year luncheon that we're planning for Tuesday, May 9th (finals week study break) at noon.  We could have a potluck/picnic on campus or at someone's house, or we could meet at a place like Quinton's.

3. Inspired by HOP (Honors Opportunity Project) topics, Alan and Allyson suggested doing a book drive.  We will collect lists of books that schools (e.g. West, City, NW Junior High, SE Junior High, Regina, Westbranch) need, and these lists will be posted in local bookstores for people to donate.  After the lists have been displayed for a few weeks, we'll pick up the books and deliver what has been donated.  We also thought we could put a box outside the office and advertise the book drive by mass email, University computers' screensaver, Lindquist TV, flyers, and maybe piggyback on a clothing drive that the dorms are doing.  Allyson, Kristen, Jaclyn, Jen, Isaac, and Mary are asking their cooperating teachers from practicum about any books they might need.  Alan is working on the PR side of this project, and we hope to have lists posted in bookstores by our next meeting.

4. Lindsay booktalked Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face.  It's a memoir about her struggle with cancer and how she survived over 30 surgeries and numerous treatments of chemotherapy.  While Grealy's life is filled with hardships, she doesn't ask for pity.  Rather, the book is hopeful about life in general and challenges readers to re-think notions of beauty and normalcy.  Lindsay highly recommends this book as personal reading, as a free reading option for high school students, or as a possible text in the high school curriculum.

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