<p>Does everyone do this? They say “mandatory”…but I don’t see everyone doing this.</p>
<p>Also, my advisor (CAP) is in a science course, so is he really going to have read it (I mean prof’s are probably really busy already)?</p>
<p>You will be broken down into small groups with a leader who has read the book (not likely your adviser) and will be expected to discuss it. So I’d highly recommend reading it.</p>
<p>It’s not mandatory by any means. Neither is participating in any related event.</p>
<p>If it’s a good book though, it can’t do any harm.</p>
<p>wait its not mandatory? Didn’t they say it is considered you first college reading assignment? Can’t you get rescinded for NOT doing it?</p>
<p>How long does it have to be anyway? Does anyone know?</p>
<p>yes, you get rescinded for not doing it.</p>
<p>have fun at community college, all you beak-of-the-finch avoiders.</p>
<p>No, nothing in the orientation is mandatory. You don’t even have to be on campus. Nobody really cares. They just pretend so that you won’t feel lonely and ignored, commit suicide and land a court case on the university. What did you think, they come force everyone out of their room drag them to the interrogation chamber and make everyone share impressions? Just tell them you never got the book…or didn’t feel like reading it, because you found it offensive to your religious views. Not even ruth simmons would dare have any comments on that.</p>
<p>can someone not give me any sarcastic answers like how long does it have to be?</p>
<p>How long does what have to be? The actual reading? Or the essay? Or the interrogation? I probably wrote something like 4-5 sentences. But seriously, if don’t want to do it, why do it? You’re not in highschool anymore, you’re a free man! No, I mean seriously. If it’s not in the official requirements, it doesn’t exist.</p>
<p>What’s next anyway? Thinking that attending the rape info session/lecture is mandatory? Or the slavery one too? (do they even still have those, btw?). Unless you shed at least 5 tears, you’re expelled? Well sure, if you want to get on the right track right from the start, and get your starting dose of guilt for being male/white which will last for most of college and probably beyond, then by all means go for it. It’s very healthy to have that voice in the back of your head going :“your ancestors killed black people!shame on you! you’re a potential rapist, did you know that? well, it’s true, you are! be careful around women! and black people! because you are a rapist and guilty for slavery!”. This friendly little voice will help you build very healthy relationships with members of the opposite sex and opposite color.</p>
<p>How long does what have to be?</p>
<p>It’s “required” in the same way that pretty much anything else is. There are no consequences for not doing it except maybe a guilty feeling, like not going to any of the orientation events. They’re listed as required and you should probably treat it as such because some of what happens for orientation is worth attending. But ultimately, it’s your decision.</p>
<p>I really disliked the book, but because I read it I won’t sound like a complete slacker to my discussion leader.</p>
<p>Though I don’t know how to write my letter to my advisor when the “starting point” gives me a negative mindset. Uh oh…</p>
<p>Obviously, no one is going to make you do it. But given that the procedure this year has tightened (or so the 2012ers say) and more people are reading the letter, it’s probably not a bad idea to write it. Given what I’ve heard, it seems that a lot of people wrote a paragraph or two about their thoughts on the book (one of my friends criticized it for half a page) and then moved on to themselves. A 2012 student said on the Facebook page that his letter was 1 page, and another wrote a 3-page one. I don’t think the advisor (or anyone else) is going to care all that much so long as you say something about yourself and your academic interests.</p>
<p>I didn’t particularly like the book, so I just mentioned two things that interested me and how they related to what I wanted to study. Most of my letter had nothing to do with finches…</p>
<p>My advisor never mentioned the book at our first meeting. And again I seriously doubt you will really have to attend anything. And who cares about your leader, you’ll probably never see or hear from him again. One friend last year went to the meeting to bash the book, and was disappointed when no one asked him anything.</p>
<p>Wow, all this negativity. Is it just me, or did I get NONE of this kind of negative “I hate doing assignments that might open my mind to someone else” during ADOCH?</p>
<p>True, we don’t HAVE to do it. And I haven’t done it yet, because as the sleeping survey says, I don’t have much “get” (get-up-and-go?)/motivation this summer. i.e. I’m lazy. But I liked reading the book, and I WANT to be able to have some really good discussions with people during orientation. Because I like thinking deeply.</p>
<p>I just found out I will have to be out of the country this week (personal reasons) and while I have read the book, I have yet to compose my letter. Does anyone know what happens if we turn this in late? Does the link shut down after August 7th?</p>
<p>I was negative about the other things, not the book…nobody will care about that. Seriously, don’t expect the discussions to be the high point of your time here. Some random people will mumble 2-3 words and then everyone will move on to the more important topic: where to eat pizza.</p>
<p>And I was being negative because the others are just ridicoulously brain damaging. They sit you next to a few other hundred people, maybe parents or what not, and then that girl who does tours around the world telling the story of how she was raped comes and makes everyone feel guilty. Maybe it’s just me not appreciating being treated like a potential rapist. On my first day at college (truth is I went in my second year to see what i missed). I wonder who pays for all her tours. I hope they feel responsible for ****ing up the social atmosphere in this country even more.</p>
<p>Wow, someone’s bitter.</p>
<p>Anyway, OP, you’re a college student now and ultimately you make your own decisions, but just do the assignment. You’re going to Brown… you might as well do the work.</p>
<p>Of course I am bitter whenever I see this type of brainwashing going on around</p>
<p>Haha, I went to most of the orientation events because I wanted to meet people, but about half my unit skipped virtually everything. When we did the book it was just a talk and the lecturer asked who had read it… I think maybe 10% had. I read a about half before orientation. With the small discussion groups though I think I would now read whatever they gave us. They get a large swath of professors to do the discussions. My biology professor was leading one, which was pretty funny. Might be worth it.</p>
<p>Seriously though, don’t freak out, this isn’t high school. You have tons more freedom to do well and screw up as you please, with the correspondingly larger benefits and pitfalls.</p>
<p>The rape thing rubbed me the wrong way as well (eh…). There is something to that message obviously, but her presentation bothered me because it didnt show signs of adapting to the hundreds of times she has given it. Also made me feel ashamed to be a guy for a bit.</p>
<p>
FWIW, the presentation she gave was exactly the same as when she gave it at my high school the year before.</p>