The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Campus Life is holding a Tuesday night book club series in connection with the speaker series that is featured on campus throughout the year.

The idea of the book club was initiated by the director of Campus Life and Event Services Michele Irby and was started because all of the speakers' within the speakers' series this year either have written a book or had a book written about them. Irby and other staff members within Campus Life started the book club with the intent to get more insight into the life and legacy of the speakers.

"We thought it would be a nice additional way to learn about the speakers," Irby said. "Typically students get an hour to 90-minute presentation that the [speakers] do, so we thought this would be a nice way to learn more about the speakers and what they had to offer the campus."

The book club started this year and although the attendance has been low in the past, Irby feels as if this is a great opportunity for students and is hopeful that with the next speaker of the series, Nicholas Sparks, there is more participation.

"We would hope that it would continue to gain some momentum and people will be interested in reading and discussing things about the author," Irby said.

The book club is currently reading the most recent novel by Nicholas Sparks entitled "The Longest Ride." The club normally meets over dinner and sits down and discusses how everyone felt about the book.

Admission into the book club is free of charge, however the group does request that all students interested email them in advance to make sure that your dinner is paid for.

The book club also gives students the opportunity to either have a meet and greet or possibly have dinner with a speaker. Students will also have an opportunity to be entered to into a drawing to receive a prize for attending.

The next meeting for book club will be at 5:30 pm on March 4 in the Terrace Room on the third floor of the University Center. To make a reservation contact the Campus Life office at 573-651-2280 or email them at campuslife@semo.edu.