Although the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's summer reading assignment for the Class of 2007 did not make waves nationally as last year's selection did, it still sparked its fair share of controversy in North Carolina.
In "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America," Barbara Ehrenreich examines the condition of the working class by taking various minimum wage jobs across the country, from working at a Wal-Mart to cleaning houses, and trying to 'make ends meet.'
The book's selection sparked controversy in the Research Triangle Park and criticism from those who thought the book was too politically charged. State legislator Hugh Webster, a major opponent, called the book "intellectual pornography with no redeeming characteristics."
However, students and administrators alike said that the freshmen discussion groups on Monday were representative of a variety of viewpoints and raised awareness about contentious issues involving the working class--in the nation at large as well as on the UNC campus.
"We talked a lot about respect for the people who work for the University," said Student Body President Mark Tepper, a senior, who co-led a discussion session with Chancellor James Moeser. Tepper said that students in his session discussed ways in which they could show consideration for UNC employees, particularly the cleaning staff.
"The idea of having to bring a leaf blower to clean up [a lecture hall] is pretty disgusting," said Tepper, adding that examples such as these sparked serious conversation about the meaning of community at UNC.
In addition to addressing issues such as those found on UNC's campus, the book also critiques the situation of the American working class in general and spurred debate in the discussion groups.
"I thought that it was a good book because it caused controversy and made people think a little bit more about society in general," said freshman Althea Johnson. She said that critics who said the book was politically biased missed the point. "I just thought of it as informative. It was supposed to be thought provoking and cause people to have an opinion--it obviously did that."
UNC professor of public policy and discussion leader Peter Andrews agreed. "There was no one-sidedness about it. People came up with a lot of good thoughts about the issues the book talks about," he said.
The program is optional, but recommended, for all incoming freshman and transfer students. Although numbers on this year's participation levels are not yet available, last year approximately 65 percent of the students took part in the discussions.
Last year UNC's book selection caused an uproar, locally and nationally, when the committee chose "Approaching the Quran: The Early Revelations" for freshman summer reading. Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Learning at UNC Cynthia Wolf Johnson said the attention this year was probably a result of last year's coverage.
"There was little [student] reaction to the controversy [this year]," said Wolf Johnson. "The feedback was that many of the students thought 'What was the big deal?'"
Wolf Johnson said last year's episode played no role in the committee's decision to choose this year's book and that the committee will continue to choose books that engage students academically and intellectually.
"If it is controversial so be it, if it is not controversial that is fine too," she said.
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