Frosh unite around 'Lincoln' project

and Maureen Tkacik Clad in T-shirts, tank tops and a lone Oxford button-down, the 14 Hill House students gathered around History Professor Sheldon Hackney Sunday didn't know their Penn Reading Project moderator was a former University president, or that he had just left the chairmanship of the National Endowment of the Humanities, or that freshmen the year before read a book about bohemians in Paris. The diverse group, whose homes spanned the continent from Alaska and Hawaii to South Carolina, didn't even know each other very well yet. But just three months out of high school, the students of Class of 2001 were familiar with American history. That, along with the book that they had just -- presumably --read (and complained about) -- Garry Wills' Lincoln at Gettysburg -- provided excellent fodder for an animated discussion that had potential to long outlast its two hours. "This was a good class," said Hackney enthusiastically about the group when the discussion -- which ran the gamut from slavery and welfare to manipulation and the French revolution -- was over. "Twelve out of 14 talked," he added, noting that he did not have to force anyone to speak up. Downstairs in College Hall, 13 other Hill freshmen clustered around an oval table in Provost Stanley Chodorow's office to discuss the book -- a detailed analysis of the Gettysburg Address. Chodorow and the students looked at the text of the Gettysburg Address itself, examining the imagery and intent of the document. He asked the freshmen to "think how this piece applies to you." "With this document, Lincoln sets a standard for writing -- this is the standard to which all of us are held," said Chodorow, also a medieval legal historian. As students walked to Hill Field for the annual orientation barbecue, other faculty members who participated in the reading project shared a positive reaction to their discussions over post-project hummus and Chablis. "Every single one talked," said Dental Professor Joseph Greenberg. "I was going to force them if I had to, but I didn't. They were all bright, and they showed it." Greenberg added that he felt a closer connection to the freshmen than the post-doctoral students he regularly teaches. " I'm usually stuck away in a tiny corner of the University." The word "lively" repeatedly crept into conversation as other faculty members discussed their respective groups. And while Hemingway's A Movable Feast -- last year's assignment -- was undoubtedly an easier read for most, the consensus was that Lincoln made for better discussion and that the Class of 2001 was more engaged. "I heard a few wonder whether we made them read it for the bonding experience of everyone complaining about it," ventured English professor Roberta Stack. In a weekend usually characterized by small talk, students were generally pleased they had the chance to discuss serious issues. Director of Academic Programs in Residence Chris Dennis explained that community building is one of the primary purposes of the 7-year-old reading project. "The idea is to begin to structure their first intellectual interchange in the hope they will have the ability to discuss interesting ideas with their neighbors and peers," he said. "The social conversation will come somewhat more easily." As in previous years, the text of the book will be incorporated into each of the freshman English seminars, and freshmen will draw upon the text for their first writing assignment. Dennis added that some faculty members have changed their syllabi to use Wills' book in the curriculum. As part of an ongoing effort to integrate the book into freshmen's lives, Dennis also mentioned that Wills will visit Penn in March, under the auspices of the Arts and Sciences Deans Forum.