Sister of literary icon Chris McCandless to address incoming freshmen at Fall Convocation on September 8 as College kicks off 50th anniversary celebrations
By Leona Baker | August 30, 2011
In the spring of 1992, 24-year-old Christopher McCandless hiked into a remote area of the Alaskan wilderness on what would be the last leg of a spiritual pilgrimage that began two years earlier when he graduated from Emory University in Atlanta and promptly dropped off the proverbial grid.
Immediately after his college commencement, McCandless cut all communication with his family and friends, changed his name to “Alexander Supertramp,” gave away $24,000 in savings to a charity and assumed the life of an ascetic wanderer whose few possessions included dog-eared copies of books by Jack London, Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy, writers he idealized.
McCandless’ great “Alaskan Odyssey” came to a tragic close in August, 1992, when his lifeless body was discovered by a group of hunters who happened upon the abandoned bus he had been using as a camp site. "I have had a happy life and thank the Lord,” McCandless wrote on a page torn from one of his books not long before he expired from starvation. “Goodbye and may god bless all!"
McCandless’ story has become the stuff of legend for admirers who see his dedication to a self-imposed “moral code” and rejection of materialism and the mechanisms of society as an antidote to a modern life of excess. For others, McCandless was just another naïve kid in search meaning in the Great White North but woefully ill-prepared for the realities of survival in its beautiful but unforgiving landscape.
McCandless’ epic journey and the questions and controversies surrounding it were chronicled in a bestselling book called Into the Wild by journalist Jon Krakauer, who first covered the story of his death for Outside magazine in 1992. (The book was translated into a major motion picture directed by Sean Penn in 2007).
For the second time, this gripping non-fiction work, hailed as “a heart-wrenching drama of human yearning” by the New York Times, has been chosen as required reading for all incoming freshmen at Virginia Wesleyan College. The book was first used as freshman reading 10 years ago.
“We were looking for a readable book that was engaging and would fit this year's theme of ‘tradition and change’ to go along with VWC's 50th anniversary,” says Denise Wilkinson, professor of mathematics and Wesleyan’s director of first year experience. “Into the Wild is the story of a young man who changes his tradition of what is expected for his future by giving away his savings, abandoning his car and hitchhiking to Alaska. We’ll explore his journey but also encourage our freshmen to consider their own journeys at VWC.”
Discussions and assignments related to the book will be part of the freshman orientation process for the class of 2015 as well as a focus of the first-year experience course that is required for all incoming freshmen.
“Assigning a summer read sets an academic tone for incoming students as they begin their Virginia Wesleyan experience,” explains Wilkinson. “They are introduced to the concept of a liberal arts college as they participate in events that help them reflect on the book from different disciplinary perspectives.”
Carine McCandless to Speak at Fall Convocation
50th Anniversary Kickoff
September 8, 11 a.m.
Jane P. Batten Convocation Center
One of the characters who figures prominently in Into the Wild is Chris McCandless’ younger sister Carine, the family member with whom he shared the strongest bond before he set out on the epic journey that ended in the Alaskan wilderness. Carine has become a torchbearer for her brother’s story, which has captured the hearts of millions of people around the world.
Carine's input was crucial to the development of Jon Krakauer's international bestselling book. She also worked closely with Academy Award-winning writer/director Sean Penn for his critically acclaimed film adaptation of Into the Wild. Carine McCandless will be the featured speaker for fall convocation on September 8 at 11 a.m. in the Convocation Center.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Denise Wilkinson at 757.455.3249 or e-mail dwilkinson@vwu.edu.