<p>septiambre…you’re a new but very valuable contributor!</p>
<p>My year (class of 2011) we had to read The Pickup, by Nadine Gordimer. What you do is read it, write a short essay, go to an assembly with a panel of professors analyzing the book, and then a small group discussion where you turn in the essay (there is an essay contest).</p>
<p>I’m not trying to sound “too cool for school” or anything, but I didn’t read it, do the essay, or go to the small discussion group (but I did go to the large panel discussion). If it were a book I was really interested in, like The Great Gatsby, or the Lincoln book, or Guns Germs and Steel I would have fully participated.</p>
<p>Honestly, I read about a book a week, but I’m biased toward American and British literature and nonfiction (especially history). I didn’t skip reading it because I hate reading, but because I had a stack of other books I wanted to read, and it sounded boring to me (unfair, but when you have a serious personal reading list, you have to prioritize you know). I still have it, and may read it at some point, but again, other books are on my list. Call me an elitist or ignorant, that’s fine, I just genuinely wasn’t interested and read other books instead.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do it, in short. And I haven’t heard of a single writing seminar teacher who’s required you to turn it in for a grade, ever.</p>
<p>Prism123, you must be class of 2011 like me, because all the other required books from other years were interesting (I’ve read them! lol). You don’t even have to go to the small group discussion. What are they going to do? Kick you out? Give you an F? I’m still at Cornell, lol</p>
<p>ResurgamBell- What do RAs have to do with attending the events? Ours reminded us to go, but RAs have zero authority over you once you’re outside your dorm</p>
<p>2012 actually. If your a non-fiction/history buff the Lincoln book would probably be interesting, otherwise not so much.</p>
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<p>RAs are going to supervise your living quarters for the next year…if you make them look good they might cut you some slack during the year. so it’s not about authority in forcing you to go…but about the respectful relationship you should try to build from the get go! </p>
<p>my RA went with us to the discussion…maybe ours was an exception?</p>