Photo Provided by Evelyn Rodriguez,
“When We Make It,” the book for the fall book club hosted by the WRC, touches on themes such as mental illness, sexual assault, food insecurity and gentrification.
By Evelyn Rodriguez, Staff Reporter
The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) at California State University, Dominguez Hills, began its annual book club this October. It’s the first time the WRC hosts the book club in the fall instead of the summer semester. The book club, which was hosted early because of student requests, began reading “When We Make It,” by Elisabet Velasquez, a Boricua writer born in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Students were able to sign up for the book club via Toro Link. “When We Make It,” was also available to students free of charge and all those who were interested in participating were able to choose between a physical copy, that was mailed to them or an e-book, or audiobook.
Chloe Chavez, a student majoring in Child Development attended the WRC’s fall book club. Chavez, who also participated in the WRC last summer book club, was so excited to join this semester. “It’s a great way for students to connect virtually during the pandemic,” Chavez said.
Chavez said that while she does not share the same culture as the author Elisabet Velasquez, she thought the author did a great job discussing topics most people, especially women go through. “It’s nice to amplify stories written by women and BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) authors,” she said.
Chavez looks forward to attending future book club meetings. She also looks forward to reading more books from various cultures just as Alyeska Gutierrez, the program coordinator, mentions that the book club strives to help students interact with books written by women of color.
“We are always featuring authors who come from different ethnic backgrounds,” Gutierrez said. The books are chosen by the WRC and are selected for students to feel represented in what they read. Allowing them to identify similarities between them and the authors.
“We don’t expect everyone who signs up to receive the book to attend the Zoom meetings,” Gutierrez said. “We still consider it a success because one way or other students are still engaging in the book.”
The attendance of students who join the club depends on what the book is about at the time.
During this fall book club they have approximately 40 students who attended the meeting for this month. Gutierrez also mentioned that they will most definitely host another book club in the spring semester since the fall one is doing very well.
You can find more information by visiting the Women’s Resource Center on campus, visiting their site WRC or by calling them at (310) 243-2486.
