I am pleased to announce the selection of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, as the First Year Reading for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Walden has inspired, challenged and confounded millions of readers in the 156 years since its first printing. The edition we are using includes an introduction by Bill McKibben that points out the author's two most important questions--"How much is enough?" and "How do I know what I want?" These questions have often been cast as being the foundation of environmental awareness and commitment to sustainability, and that is certainly one valuable dimension of this book. But Walden also contains reflections on the nature of progress and development, both in one’s own life and in society as a whole. It spurs us to think about the role of challenge (and failure!) in our lives, the importance of self-reliance, and the nature of our interdependence with others.
Walden is a book that many of our incoming students may have read before, but it is a book that one never reads the same way twice. Those who are familiar with Walden know that it is not a plot-driven or character-driven book, but is instead a day-book of Thoreau’s observations and reflections. Rather than skimming through it front to back, the Class of 2014 will have the opportunity to read the book in small sips, to sample pages here and there, and to reflect on the images and ideas they contain. As the incoming freshman class embarks on the next major phase of their lives, Walden will prove to be a provocative spur to contemplation and discussion.
For the first time this year, the Ithaca College faculty, staff and peer mentors will take advantage of the social networking opportunities created by IC Peers to suggest questions and engage with student thinking about the book during the course of the summer.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the First Year Reading committee, which reviewed nearly a dozen books in depth before recommending three possibilities to me. The committee was chaired by Associate Provost Bashar Hannah, and included Barbara Adams, Barbara Anger, Marella Feltin-Morris, David Garcia, Dan Isbell, Virginia Mansfield-Richardson, Kathleen Mulligan, Shaianne Osterreich, Ayana Richardson, Robert Sullivan, and Janet Wigglesworth.
Thoreau writes in Walden that "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations." We are excited to share this bit of wealth with the class of 2014, and look forward to the discussions ahead.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20100401170532249