The Big Read Quincy was a Huge Success!

A BIG thanks to the Quincy Community for the tremendous support of the 2009 BIG READ!  The Quincy Public Library distributed 756 free copies of the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Hundreds of patrons attended the BIG READ activities including the Kick-off, a Court-room Drama film series, the Understanding Mockingbird Lecture series and the final Theatrical Performance at the Adams County Courthouse. Special thanks to the BIG READ sponsor Great Debate Books and community partners WGEM, Quincy Herald Whig, Quincy Society of Fine Arts, Adams County Judges, Teen Reach, Quincy University, Quincy Public Schools, Quincy Notre Dame, Many Voices, One Goal Study Circle, Young Professionals.

The winner of the "Who's Your Atticus" Essay contest is Claire Scully, the second place winner is Harley Gibson and the third place winner is Emma Ridder.


Essay Contest Winner
Who is My Atticus Finch?

By Claire Sculley

Someone moral, someone honest, someone intelligent, someone who is willing to risk it all to seek the truth and defend the weak: this “someone” is Attitus Finch, the main character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. He is not boastful, he is kind, but, most of all, he provides. As a single parent, however, he never forgets to focus on his children and teaches them the building blocks of social maturity when ignorance and prejudice permeates their town. Throughout the book, his character and strength grows word by word, page by page, into a human we should all try to emulate.

Honestly, I do not think I can write that I have an Atticus Finch in my life, but I can, in fact, write that he is someone I aspire to be, someone that my generation should aspire to be. I feel that Atticus is difficult to match to any real human, mostly because he is a symbolic character that represents the bit of good we all stand for.

The dissemination of information, especially via the internet, can be both positive and negative, filled with a display of war, terror threats and examples of people doing horrible things to each other. This avalanche of unsettling information demands that we sift carefully through what we see and hear and make intelligent and cautious interpretations. Atticus Finch could filter all information from the detractors in his town and focus on doing what he believed to be morally right, which was to defend Tom Robinson. My generation needs to be able to focus on and attempt to further his cause. We need to reconfirm our values and be mirrors of Atticus, determined to live our lives in the pursuit of social justice, anti-Semitism and the support of minorities. Concurrently, we should demand honesty and accountability of our local, state and federal governments.

What better model of a sterling character to follow than the one exhibited by Atticus? His steadfastness against racial prejudice reinforces my resolve. It is so easy today to lash out against those who seem to be a drag on society, but we must help them by getting involved in the many established social programs available. We should recruit our friends and neighbors to join us, therefore emulating our inner Atticus.