An invitation to students ...

You are privileged to be the group of incoming Appalachian State University students who will initiate the Summer Reading Program. This program is an exciting innovation in Appalachian's orientation of new students to life on campus. By participating in the Summer Reading Program, you will establish a common experience with other new students that will help develop a sense of community with your new environment and introduce you to a part of the academic life that you are beginning at Appalachian.

The Process

As part of Phase I Orientation, you will receive a copy of Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies as well as some study guide material. Between the time of Phase I Orientation and Phase II Orientation in August, you will read the book and think about the study questions and guide material. As part of Phase II Orientation, you will participate in a session that will answer many of your questions about academic life at Appalachian and will, through discussion of Alvarez's book, simulate the manner in which many university level discussion classes are conducted. In addition, you will be prepared for the inclusion of the book as a possible assignment in classes such as Freshman Seminar and English 1000 and 1100, Expository Writing and Introduction to Literature.

The Book and Author

Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies was selcted for this initial 1997 summer reading because of the powerful and important ideas about personal development, freedom, and courage that it presents. Based on an actual historical event, the martyrdom of three sisters under the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic in 1960, Alvarez's story shows how each sister takes her separate path to the martyrdom that results from standing firm in personal belief in the face of a repressive dictatorship. The love and support of family and friends is a central theme in the novel and in Julia Alvarez's life. Alvarez's family immigrated to the United States to escape Trujillo and the story of the Mirabal sisters reflects both Julia Alvarez's first hand knowledge of life under Trujillo and her research into the history of her former country. Alvarez is also one of a group of Latin American women writers, known as "Las Girlfriends," who are beginning to make a dramatic impact on the contemporary American literary scene. We feel that reading this book will not only encourage you to begin to think about important personal issues, but will also introduce you to an important emerging voice in our culture.

The Payoff

As a result of the Summer Reading Program, you, as new students, will enter Appalachian with at least one intellectual experience in common. Comparing ideas about this book will be one way to begin conversations with other new students and to begin to establish something in common with those others. This will also provide a way to have the Phase II Orientation to academics at Appalchian move beyond simply answering questions about such things as attendance policies to actively engaging you in a simulation of one type of intellectual activity in which you will be engaged in your university careers. In addition you will have a head start on dealing with this book in courses which choose to incorporate the summer reading into the regular curriculum. The process will serve to remind you about how strongly Appalachian values your intellectual and academic development, and reading and discussing the book will begin to reinforce the communication skills which Appalachian plans to develop in all of you to enable you to become outstanding students and to excel in your chosen careers.

In conclusion, we are tremendously excited by the opportunity that the Summer Reading Program will provide for us to "jump start" your academic development for the next few years. By completeing the reading you will be fully prepared to participate in the discussion that will be aprt of Phase II Orientation as well as being prepared for one assignment you may have in one of your Fall semster courses. You also are a pioneer in the Summer Reading Program, an opportunity that we hope will make your Appalachian experience even more valuable to you.

For more information, please contact us at SummerReading@rocketmail.com
Copyright © 1997 Appalachian State University Summer Reading Program