Documentary set to open The Big Read

The Mirabal sisters were a group sisters in the Dominican Republic who stood up to political injustice in a Dictatorship. Although they faced hardship, they continued to persevere and in doing so brought about revolution in the hearts of the common person. "In the Time of the Butterflies," by Julia Alvarez, is the fictional account of how the quiet heros in society pursuing education and equality can bring about change in the hearts of men and furthermore change the environment in which they live in.

On Oct. 11 through Dec. 3, Austin Community College will join forces with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Center for Public Policy and Political studies to begin an initiative called The Big Read.

The main goal of the event, according to creative writing department chair Charlotte Gullick, "(Is) to engage lapsed and reluctant readers in interesting activities in an attempt to inspire them to learn in an attempt to really make a

difference."

Gullick's theory about why there has been this spike in recent reading deficiency is that "studies have shown that reading is on the decline and there is less value placed into reading in general in today's society. The Big Read is an attempt to combat this issue."

There will be an opening ceremony on Oct. 11. The event will begin with a reception which will have free food, followed by a film discussion on a documentary called "The Economy Furniture Strike." This film is the historical account of a local labor dispute in the 1960s which resulted in the political mobilization of Mexican-Americans in Austin/Travis County. The film is produced by Paradigm Shift Multimedia and the ACC Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, and is hosted and narrated by Emmy award-winning journalist Dan Rather.

In the process of combining and dicussing these two activities, members of the Austin community hope to inspire activism in every member of the Austin area, according to Peck Young, director for the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies and co-host of the event.

"People should have the opportunity to realize that heroes can be normal people and that quiet heroes mean everyday people doing extraordinary things," said Young.

The book of focus for this year's Big Read event is "The Time of the Butterflies," by Julia Alvarez. The book is the true story of three nuns in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo dictatorship, and their defiance of oppression. Alvarez will be in attendance of the event.

The Big Read is focused on impacting everyone in the community, and all people are welcome to attend the free event. The Oct. 11 event will have two showings of The Economy Furniture Strike documentary, with the first reception beginning at 7 p.m.

Seating at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center is limited, and a RSVP is required to reserve a seat.

Getting reservations on the list requires an email to Charlotte Gullick at cgullick@austincc.edu including your full name and the number of seats you would like to have reserved. There will be a second showing beginning at 9:30 pm and will be first come, first serve.  

Editor's note: The Mirabal's were sisters not nuns. "In the the Time of the Butterflies," by Julia Alvarez, is a historical fiction novel.