Each year, all incoming freshmen at the University of Idaho are asked to read the same book for their Integrated Seminar class in a program called the Common Read. The purpose of the Common Read is to engage incoming students with the Moscow community and create a common ground of conversation for
incoming students.
This year, the book chosen for the Common Read is “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner” by Bich Nguyen.
Critics say the story adds a twist to a classic assimilation plotline often seen in literary works. The author, who grew up in a Vietnamese family in the mid-20th century, writes about her desire to become a ‘real’ American, and further translates that desire into a passion for popular American foods.
Food becomes a metaphor of her struggle to fit in, with some chapters being named after popular foods such as “Pringles” and “Toll House Cookies.”
In conjunction with the Common Read, Nguyen will give a keynote address at 7 p.m., Sept. 24 in the International Ballroom of the Student Union Building. The event is free and open to the public.
In recent years, the Common Read has been integrated more narrowly in ISEM courses. In most classes, students are expected to write a reflective essay on the book and engage in classroom discussion about it.
UI freshman Ana Aldazabal said she began reading the book recently and has found it hard to get through because it starts off slow. But, she thinks the overall concept of the book will make it more interesting for her later on.
Another freshman, Maddie Dahlquist, is about halfway through the book and said she wasn’t sure what to expect from the description of the story at first, but was pleasantly surprised as she started flipping through the pages.
UI freshman Jacey Arnzen is making her way through the book as well. She said the book had the opportunity to be strong, but has yet to grab her attention.
“I usually like reading but it wasn’t really catching my interest,” Arnzen said. “I actually like history, so I thought that lots of little details in it were cool, and how she has personal experiences, but overall, the plot wasn’t very moving.”
Although Arnzen didn’t find the story interesting, she said it taught her about differences in various cultures. She said reading about how Nguyen’s family wasn’t allowed in certain shops and restaurants because of their ethnicity opened her eyes to the struggle many immigrants face.
“It’s about a Vietnamese girl growing up and moving,” Dahlquist said. “I mean, I never had that experience, but I guess it gives us empathy or a better understanding of people who have had to move to another country because of war.”
One of the aspects of the Common Read program is the application of a single book into a variety of different subjects areas.
Aldazabal’s ISEM is called “The Crime-Terror Continuum.” She said she isn’t sure how her professor will apply the book to the curriculum, but looks forward to seeing what connections are made.
“I think it’s kind of weird, because all the ISEM classes are so different and you all have to read the same book,” Aldazabal said. “But then again it’s kind of cool, because somehow it’s going to be incorporated into everything.”
Arnzen’s ISEM is called “Sports and American Society.” She said it’s going to be interesting to see a book like “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner” incorporated into a class about sports, but later recognized that there may be some parallels in American sports to the metaphor Nguyen used with regard to American foods and the desire to fit in.
Overall, Dahlquist said she’s interested in the Common Read program because the high school she attended had a similar program that yielded success. She’s now anxious to see how the program at the college-level influences her first year at UI.
“If it’s anything like what I had in high school, it will give you a better understanding,” Dahlquist said. “I don’t know what ISEM is like, but I think it’s good for someone who is entering high school, or college in my case.”
Erin Bamer
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