As mentioned in our previous post, the Interact at the Center blog is having a semester-long series of posts dedicated to this year’s Common Reading Experience. This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, is this year’s BGSU common “Read.” One of the main goals of the Common Reading Experience, in which BGSU has been participating since 2001, is to generate healthy discussion amongst students and faculty. This I Believe is going to “inspire readers to think about what it is they believe in,” as the University Library’s web page says, and will be a beneficial experience for everyone in the BGSU community.
Started in the 1950s as part of a radio program by Edward R. Murrow, the This I Believe project was created with the idea of publishing stories about life. The book is a compilation of essays written by people from different walks of life expressing their philosophies and ideas about life. Some of the contributing authors of essays in the book include Bill Gates, Colin Powell and Isabel Allende. A sampling of titles in the book are: “Be Cool to the Pizza Dude,” written by an English professor, and “Finding Prosperity by Feeding Monkeys,” by an attorney. Dr. Carney Strange, a professor here at BGSU, is one of the many authors who has had his This I Believe essay used by NPR.
The first discussion between students and BGeX faculty is Sunday, August 23rd. Please listen to a podcast, by Azar Nafisi, from This I Believe (audio control panel is near top of page). We invite people to post their reactions to the book, podcast and/or discussion.
August 20th, 2009
There are several adjustments that first-year BGSU students must make. Many new students will learn how to manage new responsibilities, make new friends, meet new expectations, and negotiate a number of other new experiences. One of the ways that BGSU works with new students and the adjustments to college life is through the Common Reading Experience. Since 2001, BGSU has been one of many universities around the country that use a Common Reading Experience as a way to build community for incoming first-year students.
Essentially, the Common Reading Experience brings together the BGSU community by providing a common discussion source. Prior to the beginning of classes, faculty, staff, and incoming first-year students read the same book. A committee chooses the book each year with input from different groups on campus, including the college deans. When classes begin in the fall, students across different disciplines and backgrounds will share in the “BGSU community” discussion. Some instructors and departments also integrate the Common Reading into their curriculum. While maintaining an academic tone, the Common Reading allows first-year BGSU students to become part of a communal, discussion environment.
During the fall semester the CTL’s Interact at the Center blog will have weekly posts dedicated to this year’s Common Reading, This I Believe. Faculty, administrators and students will be “guest bloggers.” They will present their reactions to the book, along with sharing their own “This I Believe” statements. Our blog will also have postings titled “Classroom Highlights” and “On Campus,” which will offer insight into how different classes and departments incorporate This I Believe. Each week we will provide audio samples of essays from the book, as well as resources to help you integrate the Common Reading into your course discussions.
For more information concerning BGSU’s Common Reading Experience, including books selected in the past and other background questions, please visit: http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/cre/. You are also invited to visit NPR’s “This I Believe” website http://www.thisibelieve.org, which includes podcasts and curriculum guides.
August 3rd, 2009
