Discussion Questions

The Carolina Summer Reading Program is designed to introduce you to the intellectual life of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Expected of all new undergraduate students (first year and transfer), it involves reading an assigned book over the summer, and participating in a two-hour discussion session with select faculty and staff members. You will receive a folder with the location of your discussion session when you arrive on campus in the fall.

To prepare for your discussion session on Monday, August 24th, from 1-3 p.m., you are encouraged to develop your own questions as well as give thought to the questions below. Visit the Carolina Summer Reading Program website at http://www.unc.edu/srp for related resources.

1. In what ways can you relate to the concept of "family" as it is portrayed in the book? How does your perception of family influence your thoughts about immigration issues?

2. Three metaphors are commonly used to explain the complexities of culture in the United States: a melting pot, a salad bowl, and a tapestry or mosaic. Which do you think is most accurate or desirable?

3. In what ways do the relationships between members of the white, Latino, and African-American communities change throughout the book?

4. What role do sports play in the construction of national, community or school identities?

5. What, if anything, does Cuardros achieve at JM High School, apart from winning the state championship?

6. At the close of the book, Cuadros includes a group of pictures entitled "Snapshots from a Community." What impact do these pictures have on your reaction to the book and to the stories it tells?

7. What is the purpose of learning a second language? Why do you think UNC expects our students to take three semesters of a foreign language?

8. How is North Carolina portrayed in this book?

9. What questions would you ask the author, the players, the principal, and the other coaches?

10. What do you think the author wanted to achieve in writing this book?

Page Modified: July 24, 2009