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Despite student criticism of the lack of race and identity inspired in the theme accompanying next year’s Penn Reading Project book, New Student Orientation Director David Fox said that the “Year of Discovery” will encourage discussion of race.

Last semester, the “Year of Discovery” designation met criticism, with some students claiming that the theme could have been more tailored to the issue of race. Next year’s Penn Reading Project book, Langston Hughes’ ”The Big Sea,” chronicles Hughes’ experiences as he travels the country and world, frequently addresses race relations.

Fox said the broadness of the theme has a purpose, though. “We want the umbrella title for the theme year to be something everything can work within, and race relations is certainly a key part of the book and will be a key part of programming,” he said. “But we wanted every one of the twelve schools to be able to participate in this, and so I think the broader title is more appropriate.”

A revamped selection process for the year’s theme and Penn Reading Project book may be partially responsible for the criticism. Unlike in past years, the Council of Undergraduate Deans chose the book first and subsequently selected a corresponding theme. They did, however, accept theme and book suggestions from the community, as in recent years.

“We realized that [if] we chose the book without the restrictions of the theme, we could look a little more broadly at books,” Fox said.

Without having to choose a book based on a predetermined theme, the Council of Undergraduate Deans could more easily focus on literary merit.

“It‘s the story of a young man...discovering himself in different ways in different parts of the world,” Fox said. “It’s not a new book in any sense, but the issues felt very fresh.”

And indeed the “Year of Discovery” and ”The Big Sea” do have a broad appeal, both within the school and for incoming students.

“Personally I’m pretty excited to get to read and discuss Hughes’s story with my classmates because it’s so relevant,” incoming Wharton freshman Caleb Carter said. “I think The Big Sea’s theme of discovery speaks powerfully to the brink on which my class and I now stand.”

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