With one of the most successful Freshman Connection Programs to date, the coordinators of the program look forward to tonight's presentation by Loung Ung, author of the Freshman Connections common reader, "First They Killed My Father."
The presentation, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Emens Auditorium, is the culmination of the author's visit to campus.
A question-and-answer session following the presentation will be in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Room Cardinal Hall A.
"Not often do students have the opportunity to meet authors of books they have read, let alone nationally known authors." Melinda Messineo, Department of Sociology associate professor and chairwoman of the Common Reader Selection Committee, said. "There is something about seeing the author and especially after reading her experiences. Meeting her in person, connecting the words on the page to the person in front of you, it just makes reading and literature and writing more real, more accessible, more tangible."
Freshman Connections books are given to incoming freshman at orientation, as well as to the volunteer-group discussion leaders. They are used in discussions held after Freshman Convocation on Sunday, Aug. 20.
"Based on the discussion groups the feedback has been phenomenal," Messineo said. "Some of the most positive feedback we have ever had in the program ever. Students have read the books at really high rates; they attended the convocation discussion groups at very high rates, compared to previous books."
Paul Ranieri, director of the Freshman Connection Program and associate professor of English, said he had similar reactions from his students.
Everybody has a hard life and it is interesting to see lives that go beyond what we think of as hard, Ranieri said. This book deals with survival, he said.
"The fact that she had the tenacity to survive, and did survive and is willing to talk about that, to give us lessons about human cruelty, that we prefer not to think about but is happening in the world, to me, is a lesson in tenacity and survival," he said.
Program expenses are covered by the Freshman Connections budget, which is part of the general university fund. Part of the cost is also covered by a small fee added to student fees about four years ago, Messineo said.
"We have the cost of the speaker and the cost of the books," she said, "We get a discount of about half-off the cover price since we buy in bulk. In addition to that, we also pay for shipping."
Since about 4000 copies are purchased, buying the books is the most expensive part of the program. Bringing the author to campus, which can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000, is the next most expensive aspect.
For three quarters of the students who attend the Freshman Connections presentations, it is their first time seeing a live author, Ranieri said.
"[Students] need to come and listen to her talk about it, and they have to stay and ask her questions and engage with her about the ideas in the book," he said. "That's the basic process of the education system. Ideas are meant to be talked about."
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