HALIFAX, NS—King’s student Bartholomew Wingem was ecstatic when he received his acceptance letter into the First Year Foundation program (FYP). He was one of a lucky few selected to pay the university $10, 000 for the opportunity to purchase and then possibly read 30 works of classic literature. “Sure, I could have just purchased the books on my own without the $10,000 investment— but that just wouldn’t have the same pompous air I strive for. One thing I will say is that a forced capitalist purchase of the Communist Manifesto felt a little … wrong,” explained Wingem.
A spokesperson for FYP spoke to The Mackerel, saying, “It’s really an incredibly organized program. On our end, for example, we change the required books every year — this ensures FYP participants can’t buy used books from second-years. The only thing still cutting into our margins is SparkNotes.”
Despite the university’s blunt statements, students’ excitement for the program can’t be dampened. “I have nothing but great things to say about the program,” says participant Leopold Montgomery. “It’s just like my eighth grade book club, except more than just Mom and Grandma show up,” they continued. Their only complaint about the program is that they have yet to find the time to attend a single class, as they are far too busy reading.
While some claim the $10,000 is more than justified, others have come out saying that the quality of product has decreased dramatically in recent years, with students finding Paul Malls in their welcome packages this September in lieu of the Marlboro King’s students have come to expect.
Article by Sam Cutcliffe