Common Reading Program brings Afghanistan to UNC Wilmington Students Through The Kite Runner
8/20/2007 9:04:30 AM
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Wilmington, N.C.--This fall, the University of North Carolina Wilmington introduces Synergy, the UNCW Common Reading Experience, which is designed to give students a common experience with their peers and faculty through reading and discussion of a particular book. This year's book is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the first novel about contemporary Afghanistan to be written in English.
Students are strongly encouraged to read the chosen book and participate in program activities. The main class that the book will be incorporated into is Freshman Seminar, an elective course. It will also be used in other courses as determined by faculty and will be the focus of a variety of campus events including films and performances, a lecture series and discussion groups.
The program will officially kick off from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, with a Kite Runner Festival on the Campus Commons. The event will provide insight into Afghani culture and traditions through Afghan music, dance, kite flying and readings from the novel.
"Synergy supports the university's mission to foster intellectual curiosity, imagination, critical thinking and thoughtful expression," said Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. "It also demonstrates the university's commitment to providing an atmosphere of learning that goes beyond the classroom. This program unites the efforts of several on-campus entities and in the surrounding community to provide the most comprehensive reading and learning experience for our students."
The Kite Runner tells the story of an improbable friendship between two boys from opposite ends of society, and of the troubled but enduring relationship between a father and a son. Set on a broad canvas encompassing the communist coup d'etat, the Soviet invasion, the rise of the Afghan freedom fighters of mujahadeen, and the early days of the Taliban, the tale also portrays the Afghan community of exiles in America with insight and wit.
"The Kite Runner is an award-winning, critically acclaimed novel that has the potential to appeal to and engage a wide range of students," said Jennifer Adams, an advisor with UNCW's University College and Synergy program coordinator. "It deals sensitively with the many cultural differences between America and Afghanistan but also addresses universal issues that students face in their daily lives such as transition, identity, choices, loyalty and coming of age."
Common reading programs have been instituted at a number of universities across the nation in recent years. The goal of such programs is to create a campus-wide reading and learning experience through activities and programs in the classroom and throughout campus. Encouraged for all students but particularly geared toward freshmen, the program provides:
• an introduction (or reinforcement of) academic expectations and intellectual engagement
• a common experience with peers, faculty and staff
• an opportunity for self-reflection and critical thinking
• a meaningful, powerful and fun learning experience
More information about Synergy, the UNCW Common Reading Experience, and a schedule of fall 2007 events can be found at www.uncw.edu/commonreading.
Media contacts:
Jennifer Adams, academic advisor for University College and Synergy program coordinator, 910.962.3245 or adamsjb@uncw.edu.
Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media relations, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu.
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