BY KATHI STEARNS

St. Pius students, who some would describe as members of the “MTB generation,” have turned off their television sets and turned on to contemporary writers such as John Grisham, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Jerry Seinfeld and Joe McGinniss.

Every Tuesday morning from 8:55 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. the administrative and classroom regime of the normal school day is put on hold for 30 minutes of sustained silent reading (SSR).

SSR replaced Channel One, a Whittle Communications telecast, which presented world news events each morning in a format designed to appeal to students.

“Whittle treated us like we were three-year-olds. Anything is better than Whittle,” junior Kevin Mullally exclaimed.

“Whittle was so elementary … They were focusing on a stereotypical group of young people that didn’t exist at St. Pius,” senior Kathryn Fletcher said.

Students have welcomed this year’s change from the passive world of television to the imaginative world of words that can be experienced through reading a book.

“It sharpens my imagination, draws me into an experience and helps me to get a clearer sense of what can be expressed through creative writing,” said Mullally, who is editor of Carpe Diem, the school literary magazine.

Besides providing students with a 30-minute escape from the daily routine of the school day, Mullally believes SSR has given the students choices to read books not required for class, by authors who, while they may not have written one of the great books of the Western world, have something of interest to say and a compelling way of speaking to their readers.

Faculty members are pleased with a survey that indicates that 60 percent of the students find SSR a good use of school time. “Today’s teenagers are a society of non-readers; we are providing them with an opportunity to read and are amazed at how they really get into it,” said Elizabeth Aaron, a member of the English department.

Mrs. Aaron has enjoyed exchanging opinions about popular authors and books with the students. “I’ve told some of my students how much I enjoyed Jurassic Park and now they’re reading it. It is very reaffirming.”

The survey, conducted by the administration, also indicates that 55 percent of the students like SSR. “The kids have learned that reading is an enjoyable as they want it to be,” said Frank Moore, dean of studies. The ultimate goal of SSR is for students to continue reading the books they’ve started in SSR at home so that reading becomes a daily part of their lives.

Even though not all the students are doing this, some parents have noticed a change in reading patterns.

“I’ve seen a marked increase in the amount of time he spends reading for pleasure,” Marian Braham said of her son Luke. “He is developing skills that will prepare him for college as well as lifetime recreational reading.”

For 30 percent of the students SSR is the only non-assigned reading they do. “SSR has given me time to complete assigned books as well as enjoy some books that I would not have time for otherwise,” Ms. Fletcher said.

Students may read any book with a continuous story line. Newspapers, because of their bulky size, and magazines are currently prohibited. Certain magazines are being considered for inclusion in SSR next fall. “We don’t want kids reading ‘Seventeen,’ but there are some great articles in ‘Time,’ ‘Newsweek’ and ‘Sports Illustrated,’” Moore said.

It is important to the faculty and administration that they model this new concept. Therefore, administrators and faculty members without homerooms join the students and read for the allotted time. “It’s a ‘do as I do’ philosophy instead of a ‘do as I say’ philosophy,” Moore said.