Teens promote self-expression

Members of the Scripps Library Teen Council volunteer their time to coordinate a number of events at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library. They will host an art show on Dec. 8 in conjunction with the “One Book, One San Diego” reading program. (photo by Cynthia Kurose)

Teens promote self-expression

The Scripps Miramar Ranch Library will host a community art show on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. in conjunction with the San Diego County-wide “One Book, One San Diego” reading program. Leading the planning for the show is a group of local teens who serve on the Scripps Library Teen Council. Through participation from the community, they hope to raise awareness about issues that matter to local residents of all ages.

According to the City of San Diego Public Library website, One Book, One San Diego is an annual reading program, now in its 12th year, whose purpose “is to bring together our community and encourage residents to join together in the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book.” The program is operated in partnership with KPBS, the San Diego Council on Literacy, and a host of San Diego-area universities and other educational institutions.

The annual book selection process begins in the spring of each year, with nominations submitted by San Diego-area residents. Then the titles are narrowed down and decided upon by the One Book Advisory Committee. Books must meet eight selection criteria, primary among them: “Story (fiction or nonfiction) that is of high literary quality, and has a clear, compelling narrative and well-developed characters; Themes resonate with local and/or global communities, and people of all backgrounds; Inspires discussion, conversations, and action,” according to the website.

Each branch library is individually responsible for deciding what type of program or event it will host locally to promote community discussion surrounding the selected book. This year’s chosen title is “March: Book One” by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, which is based on Congressman Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights.

High school senior Haley Nguyen is president of the Teen Council, and has been involved with the organization since 2015.

“We were invited by our branch staff to decide what our program for ‘One Book’ would be,” she said. “We chose to do an art show because ‘March: Book One’ is a graphic novel … so we wanted to honor that through an art show that would be more interactive and allow people to express themselves, versus just having a movie showing or a book discussion.”

According to a flyer for the event, artists of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate, and all art mediums are welcome. In order to ensure relevance to ‘March: Book One,’ criteria for submission require that the artwork submitted either “honor the Civil Rights movement, celebrate non-violent protest, highlight a contemporary cause that you would march for, or any combination of the elements above.”

Melissa Giffen is the youth services librarian at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library. In considering the book that was selected by the One Book advisory committee, she noted that it was relevant and timely.

“Any time the book has timely material in it, you get a lot more engagement from your community,” she said. “This is supposed to reflect our community and our community is, of course, going to have different viewpoints, and that’s great.”

In Giffen’s role, she advises and supports the Teen Council, but believes in allowing the student leaders autonomy to propose, develop and execute their own ideas, giving them an opportunity to experience a sense of ownership in their local library. In promoting the event, “the teen council has made an effort to say, ‘this is an inclusive event and as long as you’re being respectful, we would love to have your work,’” Giffen said.

Nguyen agreed that differing ideas will likely come through in the artist submissions, and acknowledged that this event is intended to provide a platform for just that.

“There are a lot of different ideas in the community. At Scripps Ranch High School, there are a lot of things related to social justice that students are passionate about. The art show is an avenue for people to express themselves and also to observe what other people are thinking about,” she said.

For more information about the show or for general or membership questions about Teen Council, email srlteencouncil@gmail.com.