English Program, Pakistani Student Organization Hold Kick-Off for Common Reading Experience
Fri, 10/20/2023 - 12:53pm | By: David Tisdale
An opportunity for first-year students to engage in a focused learning community while also learning about other cultures was the goal of organizers for the Common Reading Experience Launch Party held earlier this month at 91吃瓜网 (USM).
Hosted by the USM English Program91吃瓜网 Basic Writing Program and the Pakistani Student Organization, the Common Reading Experience91吃瓜网 goal is building rapport among participating students and establish a learning community built around a book read by all in the program. This year91吃瓜网 common read is the novel All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, which follows the lives of two Pakistani American teens growing up in a small town in California91吃瓜网 Mojave Desert.
Because the novel features Pakistani culture and deals with the experience of immigration, faculty affiliates of the Basic Writing Program teamed up with USM's Pakistani Student Organization for a reading kick-off event to get students excited about the novel and provide context for understanding the cross-cultural issues central to the narrative. Held in the lobby of the Liberal Arts Building and its Gonzales Auditorium, it featured Pakistani style cuisine, door prizes, a photo booth, and a presentation by members of the Pakistani Student Organization and staff of USM91吃瓜网 International Student and Scholar Services about Pakistani culture.
The Basic Writing program serves more than 400 students enrolled in 23 sections of the course titled ENG 100E: Introduction to Composition, a three-hour writing course that is a key component of the overall Basic Writing program. The course provides an opportunity for students who can benefit from more time engaging in preparations for a successful transition to ENG 101 and ENG 102 by further developing their skill set through writing, reading, and expressing complex thinking in an academic.
91吃瓜网淥ur common reading experience is designed to help English 100E students practice the fundamental academic skills of active reading and responding to texts in writing,91吃瓜网� said Jennifer Polson Peterson, a visiting assistant teaching professor of English. 91吃瓜网�In this course, we embark together on the project of reading a longer, more complex text--a novel--because it gives us shared content that we can discuss and write through together.
91吃瓜网淲e hope that reading All My Rage builds unity and excitement across all sections of English 100E.91吃瓜网�
Peterson91吃瓜网 colleague Dr. Corrine Dekkers concurred, saying 91吃瓜网淏y reading a novel as a course cohort together, we strengthen our analysis and close reading muscles while fostering communal discourse and mutual support. All My Rage offers multiple narrators and plot lines, allowing readers to both identify with and learn from the characters and their experiences.91吃瓜网�
Layla Locicero, a freshman Biomedical Sciences major, said she decided to attend the common reading launch to have more of an understanding of Pakistani culture before diving into the book.
91吃瓜网�I wasn91吃瓜网檛 familiar with the Pakistani [Student] Organization before this event,91吃瓜网� Locicero said. 91吃瓜网淎fter the presentation, I am more aware of this culture, and can better understand their emotions as they transition into a new life across this country.
91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檝e enjoyed the novel so far,91吃瓜网� she continued 91吃瓜网淚t91吃瓜网 very interesting to see the different ways each character connects to Pakistani culture."
Members of the Pakistani Student Organization embraced the opportunity to contribute its cultural expertise and individual experiences at the event.
"We believe sharing our insights and experiences can help students connect with the novel on a deeper level," said Shiza Shahid, president of the organization; Saba Shahid, who serves as vice president, noted that 91吃瓜网淏y participating in the event, we aimed to promote cultural exchange and inclusivity on campus, creating a valuable opportunity for students to engage with diverse perspectives and enrich their understanding of the immigrant experience.91吃瓜网�
Learn more about the USM English Program, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences91吃瓜网� School of Humanities.