February 16, 2012
The Common Reading program that has become a part of first-year orientation will embark on its third year this coming fall when the Class of 2016 arrives on campus. Initiated in 2010, the program asks students to read a book of the Common Reading Committee’s choosing, which they will then discuss with their orientation groups during their first few days on campus. The committee that chooses the book and sets the goals of the program is composed of community members representing a swath of the campus, including members of the faculty, Residential Life representatives and current students.
This year’s committee chose to focus on a specific theme rather than a specific book. This year’s theme, “Know Thy Stuff: The Meaning of Objects in Our Lives,” will encourage students to think about their relationship to their stuff. Students will only be asked to read one book, but the book serves the theme rather than vice versa. One possibility the committee has discussed is the book Evocative Objects: Things We Think With, edited by Sherry Turkle. The work features a collection of essays by people in a variety of different professions who discuss one object that is significant to them or to their field.
Visiting Associate Professor of Religious Studies Brent Rodriguez-Plate, a member of the Committee, explained that the Common Reading has been more ad hoc in the past and as such, this year’s committee has sought to “institutionalize the Common Reading.” In doing so, Rodriguez-Plate noted that they are also attempting to create some kind of focal point in Hamilton’s curriculum, which has few core academic requirements. Although institutionalizing the Common Reading program is a focus for the Committee, the members are still trying to determine how they will establish this theme in the long-term, be it throughout a student’s first year or four years at Hamilton. Rodriguez-Plate remarked that one suggestion for creating more longevity in the program would be to stage an exhibition in the gallery during which faculty and staff could display objects of value to them. Other possibilities include developing a website and bringing speakers to campus who would address this theme. As Rodriguez-Plate explained, the Committee’s ultimate goal is to take the Common Reading program “beyond the classroom and beyond orientation” and to help people think critically about how they relate to the objects in their lives.
While the Common Reading program seems to have support within the faculty, student support for the program is somewhat less enthusiastic. Several members of the class of 2014, the inaugural class for the Common Reading program, felt that having a common reading assignment did not serve any purpose and did little to unite them during orientation. Some found the Common Reading book difficult to identify with. In describing her reaction to reading The Things They Carried for the program, Kelly Jenkins ’14 said, “It was good, but difficult to relate to as a Hamilton student.” This particular book, while considered a classic by many, is certainly not light reading.
Others, however, appreciated the opportunity to diversify the orientation activities. Hannah Grace O’Connell ’14 noted, “I felt like talking in a group about something more academically-minded than the rest of orientation allowed people to show a different side of themselves.”
Now that the Common Reading program is embarking on its third year, perhaps a more institutionalized and structured approach, coupled with a more relatable book will allow this program to develop a stronger presence both in orientation activities and throughout a Hamilton student’s first year.