After months of planning, a single e-mail broke some hearts.

The First Amendment Days committee wanted to try to break the world record for the most people reading simultaneously in one location Thursday on Assembly Day.

Alicia Ebaugh, member of the committee, received an e-mail last week stating another group from Gary, Ind., had entered to break the previous record of 1,000 people with more than 6,000 people.

“When Guinness Book of World Records sent me the e-mail, you could have seen my heart drop to the floor,” Ebaugh said. “We may still have a chance, though. Maybe they did it wrong.”

As part of First Amendment Days, the committee still plans to gather together 1,111 people or more Thursday on Central Campus — the four 1s symbolizing the First Amendment, Ebaugh said.

Mark Witherspoon, member of the committee and adviser for the Iowa State Daily, said breaking the record is not the reason for wanting to put on the event.

“Breaking the record is not as important for me as people understanding that they have the right to assemble and assemble for whatever reason they want,” he said.

Starting at 12:30 p.m., people who have gathered are scheduled to read aloud John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. The 1961 speech was chosen because the content is still pertinent today.

“This could have been Bush’s inaugural,” Witherspoon said. “There are a lot of the same issues being addressed.”

He said even though the speech was 40 years ago, it is still timely.

The committee has asked ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and Government of the Student Body President Angela Groh to lead.

“I was really honored to be asked,” Groh said. “I think it’s going to be a unique opportunity for students, administration and community members working together on a project, even if it’s just reading for five minutes.”

First Amendment Days are part of an event that has taken place during the past three years at Iowa State. The committee has received an $80,000 grant from Lee Enterprises Inc., which has ensured 10 more years of the event.

Witherspoon said the committee is trying to combine fun and frivolity with educational aspects.

“The importance of this is to truly help people to understand that if we didn’t have the First Amendment, we wouldn’t have America,” he said.