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J.D. Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy," the 2017 Summer reading selection, speaks Saturday, Aug. 26, at MTSU's Convocation inside Murphy Center. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
MURFREESBORO -- A bestselling author kicked off the 2017-18 academic year at MTSU by advising students to bridge cultural gaps.
"Don't forget where you came from," said J.D. Vance. "Be a part of it, building a bridge between those who have college degrees and those who don't. Be part of building a bridge between those who have opportunities and those who don't."
Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis," addressed students Aug. 26 at University Convocation in Murphy Center. During the Summer Reading Program, now in its 16th year, incoming students were encouraged to read, discuss and analyze Vance's book.
"The practice of sharing a significant reading over the summer is intended to illustrate our mutual commitment to sharing ... important topics of our world and as part of our community," said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
The book, which stayed on The New York Times' bestseller list for 54 weeks, chronicles how his Appalachian upbringing affected his personal values and views on social issues growing up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio.
With the success of "Hillbilly Elegy," the media have enlisted Vance's aid numerous times as an analyst for issues ranging from what motivates President Trump's supporters to what the recent violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, says about race relations in America.
"Don't forget where you came from," said J.D. Vance. "Be a part of it, building a bridge between those who have college degrees and those who don't. Be part of building a bridge between those who have opportunities and those who don't."
Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis," addressed students Aug. 26 at University Convocation in Murphy Center. During the Summer Reading Program, now in its 16th year, incoming students were encouraged to read, discuss and analyze Vance's book.
"The practice of sharing a significant reading over the summer is intended to illustrate our mutual commitment to sharing ... important topics of our world and as part of our community," said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
The book, which stayed on The New York Times' bestseller list for 54 weeks, chronicles how his Appalachian upbringing affected his personal values and views on social issues growing up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio.
With the success of "Hillbilly Elegy," the media have enlisted Vance's aid numerous times as an analyst for issues ranging from what motivates President Trump's supporters to what the recent violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, says about race relations in America.
"A college education is one of the invisible but most important barriers separating those that have opportunities from those who don't," said Vance.
In his address, Vance stated that there are no easy answers to the income inequality that has stifled the fulfillment of the American dream for millions of low-income and middle-class people in certain geographical areas.
In his address, Vance stated that there are no easy answers to the income inequality that has stifled the fulfillment of the American dream for millions of low-income and middle-class people in certain geographical areas.
However, he advised students to view opportunities not only in terms of money and employment, but also in terms of family life. He also urged them not to fall prey to what he called "imposter syndrome," the feeling of not deserving accolades despite one's achievements.
"I think you guys can do that, not just here at MTSU, but throughout your lives," said Vance. "If you've got something important to say to one of your friends or one of your professors, say it."
In a media availability prior to convocation, Vance expressed concerns that disdain for what some people call the "intellectual elite" will cause some young people to shy away from higher education.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people whose pathways have been diverted or changed a little bit by the fact that their families were not necessarily supportive or didn't appreciate what an institution like this could do," said Vance.
While maintaining that there is no easy solution, Vance suggested that institutions do more to make families part of the education their children are getting and that students be more sensitive to the fact that their relatives might not have had similar opportunities.
Vance, a venture capitalist by profession, earned his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and his law degree from Yale University. He is the founder of Our Ohio Renewal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth through public-private partnerships.
Following convocation, students, families and faculty attended the annual President's Picnic outside the Emmett and Rose Kennon Hall of Fame, where Vance signed copies of his book.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people whose pathways have been diverted or changed a little bit by the fact that their families were not necessarily supportive or didn't appreciate what an institution like this could do," said Vance.
While maintaining that there is no easy solution, Vance suggested that institutions do more to make families part of the education their children are getting and that students be more sensitive to the fact that their relatives might not have had similar opportunities.
Vance, a venture capitalist by profession, earned his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and his law degree from Yale University. He is the founder of Our Ohio Renewal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth through public-private partnerships.
Following convocation, students, families and faculty attended the annual President's Picnic outside the Emmett and Rose Kennon Hall of Fame, where Vance signed copies of his book.
