American Flex Literature spiced up the usual large group on March 1.

The time would have normally consisted of language arts teacher Nathan Willard’s lecture and notes over J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye.

However, once a year, Flex Resource Specialist Janey Whiteaker gets the chance to act as a guest speaker over Catcher in the Rye, her favorite book. 

She acts as a stalker of Salinger, while incorporating the necessary background notes on the author.

Whiteaker exaggerated the role, but she said, “I truly would have enjoyed meeting him though.”

Whiteaker also wore a red hunting cap which she explained as how she pictured Holden Caulfield’s hat. Unlike Caulfield’s $1 hat, Whiteaker purchased hers for $17 on her way to visit Mizzou. 

Since Salinger died Jan. 27, she said, “I was very moved by the number of students who extended their sympathy to me when they learned of his death.”

She made no special changes to the speech itself.

She does her presentation every year because she doesn’t want to become predictable.

“I like to let them hear me say something other than ‘Quiet study now’ or ‘Please hurry up schedulers, so we can settle in for quiet study.’”