Valentino Achak Deng, the protaganist of this year's summer reading "What is the What" by Dave Eggers, was expected to speak at Duke Homecoming Weekend two weekends ago, but cancelled and has no plans to come to campus in the near future, said Todd Adams, associate dean of students and director of new student and family programs.
In addition to inspiring the book, Deng can be seen as an inspiration-a member of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, he trekked across African lands, experienced long days without food or water and continually faced the threat of death.
"We did expect that Valentino Deng would speak on campus as part of Homecoming Weekend. However, his schedule changed, and he was no longer going to be in the United States during that time," Adams said. "In addition, he and his wife are expecting a child soon, so he is not going to be doing a great deal of traveling right now."
Adams said he hopes that Deng will reschedule later in the year, though plans are indefinite.
But several students said they have already started to forget learning about Deng's experiences as well as his expected appearance at Duke.
"I totally forgot about that book for a second," freshman Lauren Pfeiffer said.
Although some had to be reminded of Deng's scheduled visit, many students expressed regret that they would not be able to witness Deng tell his story firsthand and provide closure to this year's summer reading program.
"I was disappointed because I felt like the book would have had much more meaning if I had actually been able to see and hear the man who lived through these events," freshman Carter Prince said.
Members of the Duke Summer Reading program selection committee chose the book in April, and said they hoped it would educate students about the Sudanese Civil War as well as help them better understand and empathize with the war's victims. Visits from authors are also frequently part of the program: Coordinators arranged for the author of and main character in last year's book, "The Best of Enemies," to visit in October 2007, as well as the author of "The Kite Runner" in 2006. Deng previously visited the University in April 2006 as part of Social Justice Week.
As part of the orientation program this August, freshmen held discussions in small groups about the book with their first-year advisory counselors in order to prepare for Deng's visit this month.
But in the interim between dates on their schedules, "What is the What" has become "just another book" for some students, as Pfeiffer put it.
Students said they would still like to hear Deng speak even if it would be later than his scheduled visit.
"It would be better late than never," freshman Margaret Upshur said.
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