Common Reading

Welcome to TCU! Over the next few years, you will discover many traditions that form an essential part of the TCU experience. The Common Reading Program—a shared learning experience for all incoming students—is one of those traditions. Through interactive group discussions led by world-class faculty and staff, the Common Reading offers your first glimpse into the TCU learning community.

2022 Common Reading

Common Reading 2022
Student Assignment

Dear Horned Frogs:

 

Welcome to TCU!  Over the next few years, you will discover many traditions that form an essential part of the TCU experience. The Common Reading Program—a shared learning experience for all incoming students—is one of those traditions. Through interactive group discussions led by world-class faculty and staff, the Common Reading offers your first glimpse into the TCU learning community. It also provides a point of unity amid the rich diversity of the incoming class. We hope this book will spark meaningful conversations and create bonds that will last throughout your time at TCU and beyond.

This year’s selection is The Marrow Thieves (2017) by Cherie Dimaline. The Marrow Thieves takes place in a future world ravaged by global warming where people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s indigenous population, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones, and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

The Common Reading Program is part of TCU’s welcome week, Frogs First. On Friday, August 19, incoming students will participate in Common Reading discussion groups with TCU faculty and staff. In preparation for the discussion groups, we ask that you write a brief essay reflecting on one of the prompts listed below. Your essay should be about 400–500 words long. You may turn this essay in through the Common Reading website (www.commonreading.tcu.edu) any time before August 18.

Essay Prompts:

  1. Cherie Dimaline stated, “I wanted people to come away saying, ‘I would never let that happen,’ or, more correctly, ‘I would never let that happen again.’” Compare and contrast this novel to real historical events (e.g. residential schools, the Holocaust, the Tulsa Race Massacre). Reflect on why you think such events do seem to keep happening, albeit with different iterations and targeting different groups.  What, in your thinking, needs to happen so that these kind of events are not repeated?
  2. Discuss the role of story-telling in the novel. How do stories help define the concept of home? What stories do you and your family tell that convey messages about who you are, as an individual or as a collective? What messages do you hope those stories convey to others when you tell and retell them?
  3. How has climate change and severe weather impacted the landscape Frenchie navigates? How has it affected the main characters’ daily lives? What impact has it had on the non-indigenous population? Closer to home, how has climate change impacted you? Do you think any part of the future Dimaline envisions is possible? Why or why not?
  4. Dimaline’s text has roots in Canadian residential schools, but residential schools for indigenous children were also a phenomenon in the United States. Spend some time reading about the implementation, intent, and impact of these schools on indigenous children, families, and communities in the US and Canada. What did you learn in your exploration, and what are some of your insights you formed as you deepened your understanding of these schools?

If you have any questions about the Common Reading Program, please feel free to email us at commonreading@tcu.edu. We look forward to welcoming you to campus in the fall!

Jo Beth Jimerson
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
College of Education
Co-Chair, Common Reading Committee

Vanessa Roberts Bryan
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Leadership & Student Involvement
Co-Chair, Common Reading Committee


Submit Your Assignment

Click the link below to submit your assignment before August 18.

Submit Your Assignment Here

Faculty/Staff Information

Invitation to All Faculty/Staff

Greetings!

We are writing to invite TCU faculty and staff members to serve as discussion leaders for the 2022 Common Reading, Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves (2017). The Marrow Thieves, takes place in a future world ravaged by global warming where people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s indigenous population, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones, and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

Common Reading will take place on Friday, August 19, beginning at 9:00 am and will last approximately 90 minutes. Faculty and staff facilitators will lead a thoughtfully-designed discussion for one group of approximately 20 incoming students.  If you agree to participate, we will provide you with a copy of the book and a brief study guide, with additional (optional) planning sessions provided in August for interested group leaders.

The Common Reading program is an outstanding and rewarding opportunity for faculty and staff members to help introduce students to academic life early in their TCU careers, and to welcome them into the Horned Frog community. Those interested in volunteering should complete this FORM by May 2.  As a token of our appreciation, we offer a small stipend ($100) for participation in this important event in TCU academic life.

We hope you will participate in this valuable experience by serving as a discussion leader. Please note that space is limited for this program, and we may not be able to accommodate all requests to volunteer. Please feel free to contact commonreading@tcu.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Jo Beth Jimerson
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
College of Education

Vanessa Roberts Bryan
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Leadership & Student Involvement

Co-Chairs
2021 TCU Common Reading Committee

Suggestions for the Future

The committee would love your suggestions for future Common Reading titles.  Please submit your recommendation and explanation as to why it should be considered to commonreading@tcu.edu.  The TCU Common Reading Committee meets in early fall to begin the process of title selection for the following summer.