Letter to Class of 2012

6 November 2008


Dear Class of 2012,

We are writing to thank you for engaging in the first year book project. As you all know, this year was our first time with such a project. We appreciate your willingness to work with us and to read Terry Tempest Williams’ book, Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert. There is no doubt that this book was a hard read, yet we think you understand that it was selected to introduce you to the type of work we engage in at the university. As you proceed through your studies here, you will encounter readings difficult to understand, tough to decipher, or simply not enjoyable. The key, as Williams explained during her campus visit, is to enter into conversation with those readings, with one another about our reactions to what we read, and to discuss our ideas about what we encounter inside and outside the classroom. Through conversation, through discussion and reflection, we learn and expand our thinking.

We also want to thank you if you attended Williams’ talk, and we’d especially like to recognize those of you who stayed afterward and engaged in a dialogue with Williams about Red, what you liked and didn’t like, what you learned, and what you think about the book and how it relates to your lives and your communities. Terry commented to us that she found your willingness to challenge her as a writer one of her most amazing—and difficult—experiences in presenting her work to an audience. If you stayed, you participated in the kind of work that is at the heart of a university—learning about ideas; questioning ideas; sharing ideas. We do this in a community of learners who bring many different perspectives and sets of experiences to the table.

Your participation and engagement is what made this project work. It was a challenge for most of you, and for us, the faculty and staff, to make it happen. Terry navigated your criticism and compliments with grace and was grateful for your level of engagement.. Our combined interests and energy made the first freshman year book project a success. We hope you take some of the lessons of Red –its message, its focus on story – with you throughout your studies at UMass Dartmouth. Your engagement with this community will make it a better place for all of us.

Sincerely,

Catherine Houser
Professor & Chair, English

Jen Riley
Associate Professor, English & Women’s Studies

Mary Beckwith
Associate Dean of Students