On Tuesday, March 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., students were given the opportunity to talk to different human books at SVSU’s third Human Library event.
One of the most popular books was “Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran,” where a volunteer told his story of adventuring around the mountains in Iran while working as an English teacher.
Another popular book was “Superman, not Rain Man.” The book highlighted the struggles of raising a kid with autism and how social media has helped her raise awareness and make contacts for her son.
“It was a dark, stormy, night,” she said. “It was a parent-teacher conference on the night of Halloween. I found out as corn husks blew around the street. I was silent on the way home. I went to the spare room in our house and cried. I cried for the loss of my son.”
“Running for My Life” was about a man’s weight loss journey, having gone from 650 pounds to 185 now.
He had bariatric surgery after a doctor told him at only age 38 that he probably wouldn’t make it to age 42. He lost 100 pounds on his own before having the surgery, but he knew he had to make a significant change in his life.
So, he started running 5K’s and eventually made his way up to a half marathon that his girlfriend signed him up for without him knowing.
“I stood there drinking my Gatorade, the wind and rain blowing in my face,” he said. “A man came up to me and asked if I was OK. I said I was fine even though I was crying. I didn’t know why I was crying. Maybe because I realized I had three more miles left.”
The staff that organized the event are hopeful that the university will host the event again next year, as they believe it gives students the opportunity to hear diverse stories.
- Investigative follow up- What’s changed at the Mental Health and Wellness Center - 10 Sep 2023
- Horoscopes for the week of Sept. 11 - 10 Sep 2023
- Baseball wins double-header against Parkside - 17 Apr 2023
Categories: Uncategorized