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What are your thoughts? Religious arguments aside, I thought a key purpose of attending university, especially one with the prestige of Duke, was to open your mind to new perspectives.
What do you think Duke should to in this instance? Simply give Fs to those who did not participate?
MOD EDIT: Since many people seem to read only the first post and then comment, I'm adding in more info here. The book in question, Fun Home, was a book for all freshman to read and discuss when they first arrived at college: https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/new-...mon-experience Many colleges do this. It is not part of a class.
From the aforementioned link:
Quote:
The Duke Common Experience Program is designed to give incoming students a shared intellectual experience with other members of their class, with the summer reading choice as a key focal point. During orientation welcome week activities, students will discuss the book in small groups and as a larger community as part of their evening at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
a bit more,
Quote:
“I think it will be a great vehicle for conversations among the incoming class about art and storytelling; about personal and sexual identities; about truth and lies, and the harm both can cause; and about judgment and forgiveness,” said selection committee member Simon Partner, a professor of history and director of the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute at Duke.
“Because of its treatment of sexual identity, the book is likely to be controversial among students, parents and alumni. I think this, in turn, will stimulate interesting and useful discussion about what it means, as a young adult, to take a position on a controversial topic,” he added.
Assignments generally aren't optional. Don't do the assignment, take your lumps. *shrug* Also, I don't EVER recall being consulted on the curriculum choices my professors made, at either the undergraduate or graduate level. If they had, I'd surely have chosen less costly textbooks, hah.
At any rate, reading a book doesn't really require you to "compromise your moral beliefs."
I agree. Students should also be open to reading The Book of Genesis, from The Old Testament and The Book of Revelation, from The New Testament.
"It's a book for crying out loud."
I know you are being sarcastic, but if those books are relevant to the class in which they are being assigned, I don't see why students reading them would be a problem.
I'm a Christian. I think all of those students should get a big fat "F." Books are about learning and becoming educated. Gay people aren't going anywhere. At least read the book to find some human common ground.
Seriously, all types of books feature characters that are murderers, liars, thieves, adulterers, etc. Heck, that describes a good portion of the Bible. Are they going to refuse to read most literature because the characters aren't perfect?
I'm a Christian. I think all of those students should get a big fat "F." Books are about learning and becoming educated. Gay people aren't going anywhere. At least read the book to find some human common ground.
Seriously, all types of books feature characters that are murderers, liars, thieves, adulterers, etc. Heck, that describes a good portion of the Bible. Are they going to refuse to read most literature because the characters aren't perfect?
You do realize, don't you, that no small part of the problem for these students is that Fun Home is a graphic novel? It is one thing to ask students to read the viewpoint of others but quite another to put them in a position where they must view pictures that they deem offensive.
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You do realize, don't you, that no small part of the problem for these students is that Fun Home is a graphic novel? It is one thing to ask students to read the viewpoint of others but quite another to put them in a position where they must view pictures that they deem offensive.
If the photos are in the book, they can skip over those. Also, in life, we are bombarded with stuff we deem offensive.
I'm quite offended by all the racists on C-D. I still hang around and post.
I'm okay that the students don't want to read the book. That's their choice. In life, our choices have consequences. I'm sure they'll gladly take the "F." I would if I felt that strongly about it.
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