On the Same Page
In 2016, Simpson University faculty members launched a common reading program open to all students, faculty and staff, as well as to local community members. Called On the Same Page, the program is designed to align with the university’s mission to “develop the mind, faith and character” of students through reading, critical thinking, and community conversation.
A committee of students, staff, and faculty from different disciplines selects a book each summer for all participants to read and discuss in several community forums during the fall.
More than 325 colleges and universities sponsored a common reading experience in 2015. At Simpson University, the program's aim is to create a sense of academic and spiritual community among students, faculty and staff; establish and model university-level academic expectations and intellectual engagement; and provide the Simpson community an opportunity to understand diverse perspectives.
2018/2019 Book Selection and Event Dates
Braving the Wilderness (2017) by Brené Brown
Braving the Wilderness (2017) by Brené Brown
Now having written 5 New York Times Best Sellers, having one of the most viewed TED talks with over 37,000,000 views, Dr. Brown is considered to be a significant voice in contemporary culture. She presently holds the position of the Huffington-Brené Brown Endowed Chair as research professor in the Graduate Department of Social Work at the University of Houston and has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.
Though part of the title of this year’s selection speaks about the courage to stand alone, Brown utilizes her many years of research on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy to invite us to courageously embody our true selves so that we might be able to authentically and civilly engage with one another, rather than cultivating barriers and living in our own “ideological bunkers.” She utilizes the acronym of BRAVING (Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-Judgment, and Generosity) throughout the text to illustrate some of the key components to achieve this tall order within a culture that has become more and more polarized. Join us as we glean wisdom from Brown’s many years of research and engage with the text from multiple perspectives.
Please join us for the following events:
- Brown as “Storyteller Researcher”
Monday, January 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, LaBaume-Rudat Hall, Room 204 - Student Panel at The Student Research Symposium
Wednesday, March 13, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm, LaBaume-Rudat Hall, Room 204 - Multi-Disciplinary Faculty Panel
Wednesday, March 20, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, LaBaume-Rudat Hall, Room 204 - B.R.A.V.I.N.G.
Wednesday,February 13, 12:40 pm – 1:40 pm - From Dehumanization to Rehumanization: Chapter 4
Tuesday, February 19, 11:50 am – 12:50 pm - Practicing Civility: Chapter 7
Tuesday, February 26, 11:50 am - 12:50 pm
-or-
Wednesday, February 27, 12:40 pm - 1:40 pm
Join us for Lunch Discussion in February:
All meetings will be held in the Simpson University Cafeteria. Look for the table(s) with the read and black balloons. Community members are able to purchase lunch for $10.10. See you there!
Past book selections and media:
- 2017: Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson)
- 2016: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
