Avondale, Arizona - September 12, 2008 - Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), a Maricopa Community College, will celebrate the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, "Celebrating the Freedom to Read," with a First Amendment Film Festival to be held on campus September 29 - October 3, 2008. These events are observed to remind students to celebrate the freedom to read and express one's opinion even if it might be considered unpopular. These events are free and open to the public.Each year, since 1982, the American Library Association has celebrated Banned Books Week in response to books being either banned or challenged in libraries and/or academic institutions. Banned or challenged books may range from seemingly benign books - Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, a popular children' book - to known challenged books with topics such as sexuality, racism, gender, ethnicity, religion, or political perspective - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou.The college will participate with this national celebration by engaging students in the ENH295: Banned Books & Censorship class in reading and evaluating banned or challenged books. These students will choose books from different genres - adult fiction, non-fiction, play, children/young adult, and film. The students will study the themes in these books and discuss in a classroom setting; specifically challenged or banned books, reasons for challenging and banning, and the effects of censorship on writers, librarians, readers, and publishers. The films that are selected will be part of the First Amendment Film Festival.The First Amendment Film Festival will be held in the college's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Monday, September 29 - Friday, October 3, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. each day. A film discussion will follow each session.Monday, September 29: ScarfaceTuesday, September 30: Alice in WonderlandWednesday, October 1: Schindler's ListThursday, October 2: Catch 22Friday, October 3: Of Mice and MenFor additional information about Banned Books Week or the First Amendment Film Festival, please contact Erin Blomstrand, English faculty, at 623-935-8332.Estrella Mountain Community College is located on Thomas and Dysart Roads in Avondale and offers transfer-ready academic courses and job-specific occupational training to approximately 13,000 students annually. Estrella Mountain is part of the Maricopa County Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the nation. For more information visit www.estrellamountain.edu or www.maricopa.edu.
