I am very disappointed with the way that groups have taken to Carolina's summer reading. I admit to being very surprised when I heard that the Quran was going to be the choice for this year's freshmen. At the same time, I felt that UNC was justified in choosing a topic that would otherwise go unheard of for many of the students.
Many people don't understand that the point of Carolina's summer reading is not to impose religious or cultural beliefs. Regardless of what book is chosen, the idea is to introduce a new perspective to students coming in from all around the country and the world.
UNC has such a diverse population, and having this reading program is a way to help students understand what they will see when they arrive on campus.
In high school, we read selections from the Bible, and as a Buddhist, I was somewhat resistant to the reading because I felt that the text itself was out of place in the classroom.
But others argued that it was to be seen as a literary text and not meant as a religious text, and since I was the only non-Christian in the classroom, there were no uproars. I simply thought of it as an opportunity to learn something new.
To see the reaction that some Christians have taken against reading this really upsets me because if reading the Bible is OK, why shouldn't it be okay for students to read the Quran? Reading the Bible in no way made me question my own beliefs.
Reading a book does not change a person's beliefs. It simply opens the door to a different perspective. Perhaps what these people who are so adamantly opposed to reading it should consider is that they are simply afraid to learn about something new. Whatever the reason, it does not change the fact that UNC is diverse and that they will have to face different kinds of people sooner or later, including those for whom the Quran is their life's meaning.
Kang-Shy Ku
Sophomore
Medicine
The length rule was waived.
