Chapman students “Break the Tape” to protest book bans

Graphic by Sienna Lewis, Staff Photographer

Chapman’s English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, held its first “Break The Tape” campaign to take a stand against book bans in the United States, in coordination with Golden State Readers, a national organization that promotes freedom of expression in literature. 

According to PEN America, there have been nearly 23,000 book bans nationwide since 2021, and 6,870 bans in the 2024-2025 school year alone. 

Co-president of Golden State Readers Elizabeth Goldman said the organization has been popular since it was founded in 2023, originating with around 400 students nationally participating in the campaign. But participation has since grown to over 1,400 students nationally. 

“We really hope to continue what we have been doing and get more students to participate,” said Goldman. “We want to work with more partners, host larger-scale events and ideally hold more campaigns on college campuses in different parts of the country.” 

During Banned Books Week, students at Chapman wrapped their backpacks in caution tape, symbolizing the censorship of books and showing support for the freedom to read. 

Anika Yip, a junior creative writing major and arts and culture reporter for The Panther, is the vice president of Sigma Tau Delta and spearheaded the campaign. 

Yip was inspired to bring the campaign to campus because of current political divides. 

“There’s a lot of suppression of minority voices, and many book bans target minority groups,” said Yip. “This creates a climate where minorities can’t be accepted, which is really damaging.” 

Books written by queer authors or featuring LGBTQ+ characters are often targeted in banned books from schools. Titles such as “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson and “Cinderella Is Dead” by Kalynn Bayron are both New York Times bestsellers. Regardless of their popularity, the titles contain queer content, which has landed them on the banned list in multiple school districts nationwide. 

President of Sigma Tau Delta, senior creative writing major Kate McNeil, grew up in a queer multicultural household where she was exposed to stories that reflected the diversity of humanity. 

“School and classroom libraries were the center of my life as a child… I believe it helped me develop a broader capacity for empathy, despite being so young,” said McNeil. “Withholding certain kinds of literature from children isn’t just a terrifying display of authoritarianism; it is cruel.” 

For Yip, the campaign went beyond campus activism. 

“This is about protecting the freedom to read on a deeper level and to get a view of reality instead of someone’s agenda that they’re trying to push on you,” said Yip. 

As debates over censorship continue across the country, Chapman students hope their campaign serves as a reminder that access to literature is an educational right.