By: Karen Reyes
From late night scary stories to sparkly books, Dominican’s second annual Lit Fest had it all. Crafting and storytelling were just a small part of this year’s Lit Fest, a two-week series of events based around literature. Other highlights include speakers, book binding, and student salons.
Meant to draw student interest towards literature, Lit Fest has made ripples in the student body, prompting many to view literature in a new way. Saniya Witherspoon, a pre-nursing student, and Jennifer Flores, a communications major, attended the Book Bedazzling and Book Binding event together.
“I think it’s just nice to, like, get people involved in it,” Flores said. “It’s not just reading anymore, now we’re doing bedazzling and making it a bit more fun.” Events like these also connect students, Witherspoon said, as she mentioned going to these events hoping to connect with other students with similar literary interests as herself.
The Lit Fest is cohosted by the English department and Rebecca Crown Library staff. Specifically, lead organizers English Professor Maggie Andersen and library staff Phil Skurski, worked together to stage literary events meant to unite Dominican students across all disciplines, from both the River Forest and Chicago campuses.
“I think elevating the importance of literature, the arts, the humanities, at any college campus is really important,” Andersen said.
Through hosting these events across campus, engaging students of all disciplines, and focusing on the needs of the community at Dominican, the Lit Fest can help “foster empathy and emotional intelligence among our students and our faculty,” Andersen said.
Events are hosted all around the River Forest and Chicago campus and many are accessible in virtual and hybrid formats. Whether discussing literature in book clubs, attending poetry readings from professionals, or bedazzling books, the Lit Fest pushes students to engage with literature in a variety of different ways.
Through discussions, such as the student-led salon and book clubs, students engage with each other and faculty to share and explore the complexities of literature. Events such as the Tabet Poetry and Monsters Conferences brings professionals, such as this year’s speakers, poet Ross Gay and Medievalist Maria Dahvana Headley. Students can attend these events and get a new perspective from professionals in the field. Crafty events such as Book Binding and Book Bedazzling attract students and promotes excitement around literature.
Riley Lindsey, English major and department intern, praises the Lit Fest for the way it engages with Dominican’s student body.
“I love the idea of literature being accessible and enjoyable for everybody,” Lindsey said, “I think it is our job to do our part and make is accessible and enjoyable.”
The Lit Fest enters its second year with strong goals and ambitions yet still remains under constant development. “Low attendance to events is likely due to factors such as, timing, accessibility, student burnout, and lack of marketing,” Andersen said. While the Lit Fest is still going through trials and errors, student feedback continues to remain positive, and developments are sure to progress each year.
