CIS University celebrated Book Week in style this academic year, organizing three special events from April 21 to 25. April 23, the date on which the International Book Day is commemorated, marks the passing, in 1616, though on different calendars, of two towering figures of world literature: Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote de La Mancha, and William Shakespeare, the most renowned playwright in the English language.
The celebrations began with a debate organized by the CIS University Debate Club on a provocative topic: “Is reading books obsolete?” Students Ryan Cate, Malena Marks, Anna Botova, and Aymeric Reman defended the enduring value of reading against Lola Marks, Lucas Murphy, and Theo Svistunov, who, despite arguing that book reading is a declining habit today, won the debate thanks to their remarkable rhetorical skills.
On Wednesday, April 23, International Book Day, one of CIS University’s most cherished traditions was held: the institutional reading of Don Quixote de La Mancha, now celebrating its fourth consecutive year.
More than thirty participants, including students, faculty, and staff members, brought Cervantes’ masterpiece to life in over a dozen languages, including Spanish, Galician, French, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Malay, and Martiniquais Creole.
“I am pleased and proud to represent my country and my mother tongue, Martiniquais Creole,” said an emotional Aymeric Reman, a Martinique student who discovered CIS University after watching a previous Don Quixote reading on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan student Victoria Insua shared: “What I enjoyed most was rereading Don Quixote, since I hadn’t revisited it in a long time. It was moving to see so many people reading in their native languages.”
To close the week, the first Literary Trivia Competition was held, with nearly a dozen students answering questions about the great classics of world literature. Alex Barker, from Endicott College, took first place, followed by Hannah Capsalis, Victoria Insua, Theo Svistunov, and Trinity Nye, most of them active members of the CIS University Book Club. The top five finalists received a book as a prize, and thanks to the enthusiastic reception, the competition is already set to return in the future.
“Even though I didn’t know all the answers, the trivia contest was a wonderful opportunity to learn, have fun, and share our passion for books,” concluded Hannah Capsalis, second-place finisher.
