Efforts have been made this year to expand the LSU Summer Reading Program past the University’s borders and into the surrounding community. The “One Book One Community” initiative was implemented by the University with support of five sponsors to encourage students, faculty, staff and residents of the Baton Rouge area to share in the common educational and informational experience of LSU students. This year’s book is “Life on the Color Line” by Gregory H. Williams. It tells the author’s autobiographical story of growing up white and later discovering that his father is half black. “This is a great book to read that could probably help strengthen community ties and get people to see another side of how other people live,” said Robin Kistler, coordinator for public affairs. Other sponsors of the initiative included Cox Communications, Forum 35, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge and Southern University. Posters and Public Service Announcements have been made to inform the community of the initiative. Kistler said from what she’s seen the response has been positive. “People are telling me, ‘I heard the radio spot,’ or, ‘I heard the TV spot,'” she said. “So far it’s working.” Kistler said the whole idea of “One Book” is to get people to share the experience of reading the same book, particularly one dealing with such a strong social issue as race. She said she hopes the book can trigger the improvement of race relations in Baton Rouge, which she said can always stand to improve. “I hope it starts conversation,” Kistler said. “I think it can change people’s perceptions. These problems aren’t very far from Baton Rouge.” Each book selected for the Summer Reading Program is picked by a committee of faculty, staff and current students. Frank Cartledge, vice provost of Academic Affairs, said every book chosen has had some kind of social issue and message associated with it. The books are given to incoming freshmen for free during the orientation process. “The books are paid for by the General University Fund,” Cartledge said. He said any work assigned that deals with “A Life on the Color Line” are given on a professor-by-professor basis and there is no way to ensure that all incoming freshman read the book. “We can’t force them to [read the book],” he said. Cartledge said consequences a student would receive by not reading the book would be personal and not academic. “Some people who go through their college courses don’t read as much as others,” he said. “And generally they don’t succeed as well. So that’s a consequence.” This year’s Academic Convocation, where the book’s author will address the LSU community, will be held Aug. 25 at the Maddox Fieldhouse.
_____Contact Tyler Batiste at [email protected]