By Brandy Voirin/reporter

Freedom is a word NE student and veteran John Fredrick takes seriously.

So when he was young and learned that J.D. Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye was banned from school, it struck an unearthly chord, he said.

“How dare them tell me what to read,” he said. “I get to choose because that’s what freedom means.”

Although Fredrick read the book many years ago, he still has unresolved feelings over the book banned for sexual content.

“Somebody somewhere is always trying to intrude on my personal freedom,” he said. “The book is about a boy and his journey, and that is all. ”

In 1982, in response to the enormous number of banned books in schools, bookstores and libraries, the book community created an annual Banned Book Week.

Encouraging students to read is the reason NE Campus’ J. Ardis Bell Library decided to showcase banned books during October, librarian Bonnie Hodges said.

“We wanted to celebrate the freedom to read,” she said. “And it’s working.”

Since Sept. 27, 59 banned books have been checked out on NE Campus. Whether a student checks out a book or not, most students’ curiosity has been piqued by the banned book display, library manager Priscilla Harrison said.

The display is located on the first floor of the library illuminated with pink, orange and yellow index cards attached to each banned book.

“Many students ask if we were forced to put the labels on each book, to which we reply no,” she said. “And then they either check out a book or start flipping through the books.”

Harrison said many books were banned decades ago, but many students are surprised to know they were banned at all.

“Green Eggs and Ham was banned for pro-communist reasons,” she said. “Seems someone thought the author was forcing the readers to eat green eggs and hams.”

Students have until Oct. 31 to check out a banned book from the display.

“Even if students check out a book on Oct. 31, they will still be allotted the full three weeks to read it,” Harrison said.

Although Fredrick has already read Catcher in the Rye, he’s willing to check it out again just because it’s forbidden, he said.

“The way you get someone to do something is by telling them they can’t do something,” he said. “And one day, maybe our government or whoever is in charge of this banning book debacle will figure this out. Censorship never works.”