English 1102 and The Big Read: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Authors: Allison Ferrell and Foster Hayes
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Sharpe
Abstract:
For the past four years, Professor Sharpe’s English 1102 class has partnered with the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Council to promote the “Big Read.” The “Big Read” is an initiative in which cities and counties across the nation participate in reading a common novel. This year’s novel was Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. The course was designed to help the students gain a deeper understanding of the course content, develop skills in community leadership, and advance their appreciation of social responsibility all the while delving into a wonderful novel. Because of the in depth study of the novel, the students were able to take what they learned and use this knowledge to share with others through the Boys and Girls Club and various book discussions on and off campus. The students were also able to promote community interest in the “Big Read” though many other community events.
