Bulldogs Silent Reading Club brings students together to read alone

Fresno State students gather weekly to read individually but connect as a group

FRESNO, Calif—The silence is deafening when walking into this club’s meetings, but it is intended to be. Fresno State students have turned a typically solo activity into a social event with the Bulldog Silent Reading Club.

Andres Gomez, a history major at Fresno State, is the founder and president of the Bulldog Silent Reading Club. He grew up an avid reader and continues to nurture his love of reading today. He searched for a book club at Fresno State to connect with other book lovers but there wasn’t one. 

“I mean, a book club, that just sounds like a staple club, and the fact that we didn’t have one, that was pretty surprising to me,” Gomez said.

So Gomez took action and turned his wish into a reality. He started the SRC in the fall of 2025.

“There’s, like, two, three times more people than there ever was last semester, so it’s grown a lot,” Gomez said. 

Students choosing to participate in a group event like the Bulldog Silent Reading Club meetings follows a new trend in 2026. Eventbrite reports in its Social Study 2026 that 79% of 18-35 year olds plan to attend more events this year. The company calls it “Reset to Real.” 

The club provides multiple benefits for its members, including devoted time to reading. Anthropology major Rosalia Sustaita likes that this holds her accountable for keeping her attention on her book, rather than her phone.

“When you’re alone, it’s very easy to want to get on your phone or get distracted,” Sustaita said. “And when I look around, I see other people reading, so I’m like, oh, okay, let me keep reading.”

While 50 minutes of the meeting are devoted to reading, the meeting always opens and closes with time to talk with other members. 

Social time is a valuable benefit for member and Psychology major Isaac Serrano. 

“I used to think that people having social interactions and conversations was completely gone, especially with people isolating so much, you know, with being on their phones and stuff,” Serrano said. “So it helped me realize that there is people that still connect out here and that it’s really just nice to see that.”

Beyond reading, Gomez’s biggest goal for the club is to provide companionship.

“Meeting new friends, leaving campus, leaving the school, knowing you met someone here,” Gomez said. “I’m hoping this club does that for some people, because it can be hard.”

Gomez welcomes anyone to come to a meeting. There is no registration, no fee, no commitment, and no pressure. The only rule is to bring your own book. 

Everyone can bring whatever they want to read. For some, it is an uninterrupted time to read for school. For others, it is their time to spend with their favorite genre, regardless of what that is.

For members like Sustaita, who used to be part of a traditional book club where everyone read the same book, the ability to choose her own book is part of the club’s appeal. She also enjoys that it is welcoming to anyone who wants to join. 

“If you’re not too big on talking, if you just like to keep to yourself, it’s definitely something for you,” Sustaita said. “But if you also like to talk to people, there’s definitely people here that are like that as well.”

Gomez hopes the club will live on past his days at Fresno State and benefit students for years to come.

“I would hate to leave and the book club leaves with me,” Gomez said. “I don’t want that, so I would love to try to get someone to just be ready to take over my role and keep this club going for as long as they really can.”

The club meets once a week in the Fresno State library. For more information about upcoming meetings, visit the Bulldog Silent Reading Club Instagram page.