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At Jane Austen’s celebration, Bridget Ehlert ’29 and Ayia Ahmed ’29 made arts and crafts. The arts and crafts gave students the ability to entertain themselves while simultaneously watching a movie.
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Whilst watching one of Jane Austen’s premier movies, Burnsy Joseph ’28 gather tea and apple cider. Students were able to get refreshing beverages whilst watching a Jane Austen film in celebration of her 250th birthday.
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Practicing her art skills Evelyn Liu ’26 name watched a movie staring Jane Austen. Liu was able to relax and drink some tea thanks to Westwood librarian Mrs. Kluck hosting Jane Austen’s birthday celebration.
In the library after a long day of school, students celebrated Jane Austen’s 250th birthday party. In a special event fans of Austen had the opportunity to watch one of her movies whilst making arts and crafts celebrating the author on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
“I came to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday today because I heard there was going to be arts and crafts, and I really like to do arts and crafts,” Evelyn Liu ‘28 said. “I also think that Jane Austen is a very important part of history.”
Similar to Liu, many other students found Austen’s work very interesting and enjoyable. Besides her novels, she also has movies that can catch the eye of a large audience. Her books often include a series of topics including romance, family, self discovery, women’s roles in society, and pride and prejudice. Between all of those topics, finding a favorite isn’t hard.
“I think one of my favorite books of all time is Emma because it shows a lot of character development which I really liked,” Bridget Ehlert ‘29 said.”I also think it is a really cool novel because it shows basic character development unlike some others.”
The students participation at the Thai event highlights its enduring appeal of Austen’s works. Besides the appeal to read and watch, they also get caught up in conversation. Some to help others learn about the history of Austen, and some are recommending new novels.
“I had a friend in seventh grade who was a huge Jane Austen fan, and she would always tell me I needed to read Pride and Prejudice because it was one of the best books in her opinion,” Aiya Ahmed ‘29 said. “Being that young, I couldn’t quite understand the language but as I grew up I have found it to be super interesting and I love the way it sounds so I had to re-read some of her novels.”
Austen is a beloved author, which is why her birthday has been celebrated for over 250 years. The ability to stay prominent in the art is very difficult unless you are Austen, she is able to stay known and loved. In doing this she has had many movies made with her as the main character, and they keep remaking them just because they do so well.
“I think that Jane Austen has been able to stay beloved for all of this time is due to her wide variety of what she offers,” Librarian Lauren Kluck said. “Between the romance which is a big part that everyone likes, and the movies like Pride and Prejudice, she is just able to please a large number of people.”
