The One Book, One Campus common reading program has chosen Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer as its 2011–12 book selection.
Each year students, faculty and staff volunteers come together to form the One Book, One Campus Book Selection Committee. The Selection Committee is charged with selecting a book based on the following criteria: Literary quality; Appeal to wide range of readers; Challenge students to think about issues they may face; and Potential to create a sense of community (by sharing common experiences of reading and discussion). Krakauer’s Into the Wild should prove to be an excellent choice to accomplish these goals while allowing participants to examine their relationship, as individuals and as a society, with the natural world. The cover of Into the Wild declares, “In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.”
Everyone at USciences is encouraged to join students faculty and staff in reading and discussing Into the Wild this summer. To assist in making this a true campus-wide, collaborative effort, the Office of the Provost will provide interested students with a complimentary copy of Into the Wild. To receive a copy, please come to the Provost’s Office which is located on the second floor of Whitecar Hall, Suite 2300. Please note that books will be distributed one per person on a first come first served basis and the supply is limited to the books on hand.
The 2011–12 Book Discussion Groups will meet on Saturday, August 27, 2011, from 2-3 p.m. during Welcome Weekend. Assisting a Group Discussion Facilitator is an excellent way for USciences students, faculty, and staff to meet and welcome our incoming students.
To learn more about the program and ways you can get involved, please contact James Yarrish at ext. 1114 or by email at j.yarrish@usciences.edu. For more information please check the One Book, One Campus website at http://www.usciences.edu/onebookonecampus/