



Hamilton — the hit Broadway show that blends hip-hop, pop, R&B and history to tell a diverse new generation the story of the country’s founding — is bringing together incoming students as the heart of this year’s On the Same Page program at UC Berkeley.

“To see the entire cast be people of color, it just makes my day,” says a transfer student who is pursuing a major in English and history. “The way the story is told opens up a door to questions and ideas that lead you to the right part of history, the accurate part of history.”

In its 12th year, On the Same Page, which is hosted by the College of Letters and Science, typically asks new students to read the same book over the summer before they arrive, one by an author who illuminates current cultural issues that reflect the values of the campus. That way, they all have something in common to talk about — socially, in courses and at events specially designed to explore the book’s themes. This summer, instead of a book, incoming freshmen and transfer students were asked to listen to the soundtrack of Hamilton.

“There are so many themes that are really politically relevant right now,” says Alix Schwartz, director of academic planning in the College of Letters and Science. “It was written in a very different time, but it’s still relevant today in a different way.”