 "Photo: MCT Campus")
San Diego State already hosts one of the state’s largest libraries, but a new club is adding even more books to the list.
The SDSU Book Club has made its way onto campus. The club is using a federal government book list from the intelligence community as a tool to inform the SDSU community about various global matters.
With help from its founders, Jessica Elford, an SDSU alumna, Lauren McCombs, her colleague, and Pasquale Augustine, a long-time resident of San Diego and political appointee who has served in three presidential administrations, the club is looking to educate the community and promote awareness of politics — something the media does not necessarily do, according to Elford.
“There’s no real sense of obligation to educating the people,” Elford said. “Watchdog reporting is very expensive and they don’t have the luxury to report on it.”
Augustine and his associates from the intelligence community in Washington, D.C. compiled a list of books, which have pertinent information regarding world issues, Elford said.
These include issues of Russian arms deals, in “Moscow Rules,” by Daniel Silva, and the impact of technology in “Breakpoint,” by Richard Clarke, as well as other reads by Clive Cussler, Ahmed Rashid and David Baldacci.
These authors may be known for their bestsellers and thrillers, but they also have history within intelligence communities, making them credible sources for the topics of discussion, Elford said.
The SDSU Book Club is currently discussing global warming and the depletion of natural resources in Cussler’s “Arctic Drift,” but Elford says that people don’t necessarily have to have read the book in order to participate in discussions.
Elford said she believes this could be a “step forward” for communities to become aware of issues such as the CIA’s secret funding and political chaos.
“How do you know what the government’s doing?” she said. “We do want to partake. We do want to be educated. We just don’t know who to trust and which institutions to trust.”
The SDSU Book Club sponsors Book Club meetings along with the SDSU Alumni Office, which take place on the last Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7 p.m. The books in discussion are discounted as well, according to Ken Packer, the general bookstore department manager.
“I think the focus of the book club is to look at contemporary issues through literature,” Packer said. “We need more awareness and activity on issues that affect the students. I think it’s a good thing.”
The club’s first meeting was last Wednesday and is open to the community. A new book will be discussed every other month, because most of the books are 400 to 500 pages, according to Elford.
The trio has nine program advisors who help direct conversation at meetings.
Advisors consist of SDSU and UCSD professors and faculty, as well as Time Warner Cable associates.
The founders started the Book Club at UCSD several months ago. The club meets at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at Porter’s Pub on campus, and is also open to the community.
Elford, McComb and Augustine are supported by local universities, and are based out of La Jolla. Their work is published in the online magazine Blast.
“I think what we do in the world is amazing; however, as the world policemen, we do play a very important role,” Elford said. “I’m a big supporter of our government but it has to be responsible.”
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