HNS sophomores question technology’s reach

HARTINGTON — Hartington-Newcastle sophomores are attempting to answer an ever-prevalent question: Has technology gone too far?

Students in Lindsay Stappert’s English II class started book clubs last week, reading novels that beg the question: has society taken advantage of technology to an extreme?

Students have been grouped by the book that they chose to read. The books chosen include “Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline; “Illuminae,” by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman; “The Eye of Minds,” by James Dashner; “Uglies,” by Scott Westerfield; and “Warcross,” by Marie Lu.

“Right now, I would say technology has not gone too far, but the book relates to the idea that we are very technologically advanced, and we will take advantage of anything.” said Michael Brandow, an HNS student who is reading “Illuminae.” “I like [the book], and the style of writing is creative.”

The students meet with their groups to discuss every two weeks and answer questions about the books they are reading. Students then, at the end of the project, have to answer the theme question.

“If tech advances that much, and we aren’t able to support it, what will we do then? I don’t think we are able to keep up with our own technology advances,” said Mayson McIntosh, another HNS student, who is reading “Ready Player One.”

Stappert said this is the first time she has done these book clubs with sophomores. She chose the theme because technology is something the newer generations are involved with, and it makes the content relevant.

Students will be reading these books for the next six weeks, and then the class will write a three-four page MLA style essay and have a class discussion once the reading is done. The class will also have a final creative assignment, Stappert said.

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