LAURA LAPHAM, Arts & Life Editor Emeritus—Stories on the Hill is coming to Denison, headed by Genevieve Pfister, ‘24, a first-year English major with a creative writing emphasis from Columbus, OH. The program will give students an opportunity to read stories for those isolated and in need.
The way Stories on the Hill works is by students recording themselves reading stories that are in the public domain aloud, and uploading the recording to Youtube. These videos of the readings will be shared to nursing homes, hospitals, and libraries in and around the Granville and greater Columbus areas.
Pfister describes the purpose of this new program, “The committee is designed to engage and entertain members of the community during this time, especially senior citizens, children, and other individuals who are experiencing particularly high levels of isolation, in a way that is also fun and engaging for volunteers.”
Pfister thought of the idea to bring the idea to campus when she started recording readings for her local senior citizen center, where she had previously spent time reading, before the pandemic. Since then, she has had to get a bit more creative to share stories and bring joy in uncertain times. Now, Pfister wants to expand her reading program to a larger community, has her sights set on Denison.
On getting involved, Pfister says “Don’t be shy about getting involved. Pick a book that you enjoy and just have fun with it! If you’re enjoying the reading, chances are your audience will as well.”
If you are interested in participating as a volunteer for Stories on the Hill, email Genevieve Pfister at [email protected] for more information. All are welcome, and no auditions or prerequisites are required.