Common Read

CCC Common Read invites students, employees, and community members to read one book and to engage in common intellectual experiences related to that book. We encourage faculty to use the full text or excerpts in their courses as required or recommended reading. Through facilitating course adoptions and programming outside the classroom, CCC Common Read seeks to create meaningful learning opportunities which deepen students’ engagement and sense of belonging at our institution and in our communities.

Connect with Your Community

All CCC students and community members are invited to read Tribe. We all share this book as a
common intellectual experience. Many courses at CCC have adopted the book as required or suggested
reading.

Participate in Conversations

All are encouraged to attend and participate in the events we’re planning around Tribe. See the events tab below for ways to join us.

Have questions about the program? Contact Anna Canning at 928-226-4259 or by Contact Form.

Common Read - Tribe Reading Guide

A Letter from the President

I am writing to encourage you to participate in an exciting program developed by Coconino Community College faculty and staff. “CCC Common Read” is an opportunity for the entire college and the communities we serve to come together for a shared experience that explores various aspects of what it means to be human. Our goal at CCC is to encourage a sense of belonging and homecoming for everyone who walks through our doors. In order to make this goal successful, we need to hear from people throughout our college community.

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger has been selected for the common read program for a variety of fascinating and thought-provoking reasons. We believe this amazing book will inspire self-reflection and dialogue concerning what it means to feel connected as part of a community and the very human response that can take place when that social bond is lost. Every individual will have something unique to learn from and to share with others. We hope that participation in this special project will help all of us understand the challenges that others face and motivate us to connect with and serve others in need.

I invite you to view our events schedule for more details about programming. Please join us in this adventure as we connect with others and discover more about ourselves in the process. I look forward to learning along with you as we seek to understand and provide a sense of belonging through this common reading experience. Thank you for choosing Coconino Community College and for your participation in this new adventure!

Onward!
Colleen A. Smith, PhD
Coconino Community College President

About the Book

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging examines the way war creates intimate bonds between people. Through times of adversity, humans are given a sense of purpose and connection. These experiences create collectives that depend on one another, ultimately connecting with our inherent nature as a communal species. To this point, Junger explores the relationship between combat veterans returning home and higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorders as they search for the closeness and unity in everyday society. Tribe explores themes of loyalty, belonging, and the human quest for finding meaning in life. This book introduces elements of tribal societies for the purpose of helping us consider ways of creating communities that thrive not from catastrophe or war, but from peace and the act of coming together in purpose. Sebastian Junger uses anecdotal historical notes, as well as psychological and anthropological lenses to explore the tribal connection that is largely lost in today’s society. The lack of clear purpose and community begs the question: how can we come together in today’s divided world?

Books selected for the Common Read program should:

Generate dynamic discussions ideas among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider community
Support educational initiatives and learning outcomes
Bridge learning experience inside and outside the classroom
Be widely accessible (in print and audio versions), inexpensive, and readable by most students
Address issues that are relevant to students’ lives
Be useful across disciplines
Embody the ideals and academic standards of the college while expanding our culture of inclusion and respect

Partnerships

Events

Events Archive

Philosophy in the Public Interest

PPI provides a community forum for philosophical conversation facilitated by trained philosophers. This event will take up questions related to Tribe.

Event information coming soon!

Event	Community Partners	Date
Writing Workshop with Stacy Murison: Telling your Story through Creative Nonfiction	City of Flagstaff-Coconino County Public Library	April 18, 2019
Poetry Workshop with Jodie Hollander: Telling your Story through Poetry	City of Flagstaff-Coconino County Public Library	April 4, 2019
Philosophy in the Public Interest: Is Masculinity Really Toxic?	Northern Arizona University	April 2, 2019
Ink: More than Skin Deep - Screening and Participatory Public Art	City of Flagstaff-Coconino County Public Library	February 19, 2019
After the Navy: A Story of Homecoming	CCC EDTalks	January 14, 2019
2019 OnCourse Student Publication Writing Competition	CCC OnCourse Literary Magazine	December 31, 2019
Poetry of Greif and Healing	Museum of Northern Arizona	November 29, 2018
Tribe and the Failure to Bring our Veterans Home	CCC ED Talks	November 14, 2018
Veterans Day Recognition: Flag Ceremony and Veteran Speaker Panel	CCC Student Development and Veteran Services	November 7, 2018
Moral Courage and Moral Injury in War	NAU Martin-Springer Institute and Office of Veterans Affairs	November 5, 2018
Poetry Workshop	Museum of Northern Arizona	October 11, 2019
Read Feast	CCC OnCourse and Curios Literary Magazines	October 9, 2018
Our Lonely Society Makes it Hard to Come Home from War	City of Flagstaff-Coconino County Public Library	October 1, 2018