For the Class of 2016 Commons Reading, the Faculty Heads of House and the Dean of The Ingram Commons have chosen the acclaimed bestseller Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book was mailed to all rising first-year students in early June, to be read over the summer and discussed all over Vanderbilt throughout the 2012–13 academic year.

What's your reaction to the book?

Submit your essay, story, video, or work of art. You could have dinner with Sheryl WuDunn in the Dean's Residence.

For more details, go here.

The conversation has already begun

Faculty Head of House videos

Faculty heads of house have posted videos discussing some aspect of the reading which they want to share. Here's their offerings so far:

Frank Wcislo, Dean of The Ingram Commons

Paul Lim, Faculty Head of Crawford House

Cindy Gadd, Faculty Head of East House

Frank Dobson, Faculty Head of Gillette House

Dr. Roger Cone, Faculty Head of Murray House

Greg Barz, Faculty Head of North House

Robert Barsky, Faculty Head of West House

Spring 2012 Commons Seminar

In the Spring of 2012, a Commons Seminar titled Anth 099.02: Preparing the Class of 2016 for Half the Sky was offered by Gregory Barz, Faculty Head of North House, and Frank Wcislo, Dean of the Ingram Commons. The results of that seminar can be found in an online Prezi, available here. Students in the seminar produced videos, study guides, personal reflections, poems, and resource guides.

Jean and Alexander Heard Library

The Library has posted a rich and useful resource guide for Half the Sky, including videos, social media feeds, articles, and other suggested readings.

Add your voice to the conversation

The conversation is open to the entire Vanderbilt community. Login to Common Place and leave your comment on any Commons Reading posting.

Got something larger to say? You can submit a work of some kind—an essay, story, or poem, a work of art of whatever form, a video, or whatever strikes your fancy. Authors of the most creative submissions by first-year students will be invited to dinner at the Dean's residence with Sheryl WuDunn in September. For more details, go here.

The conversation will continue all year

Half the Sky will be among the first topics you discuss in your Vanderbilt Visions group your first week on campus, and there will be House and Commons programming related to the book.

Additionally, in concert with The Commons Reading, Vanderbilt Provost Richard McCarty has declared a university-wide campus theme for 2012–13: Human Identities: Global, Local, and Personal. Numerous events throughout the year and in all schools will be dedicated to exploring this theme. (website forthcoming)

This September 24, Sheryl WuDunn will visit The Ingram Commons for the Lawson Lecture. And in the Spring, Nicholas Kristof will visit campus as a Chancellor's Lecturer. Be sure to mark your calendars for these events, and watch for numerous other events to be announced.