Dear Clemson:
You are invited to participate in the 2007 Summer Reading Program for all incoming freshmen. This year's book, The Ghost Map, was written by Steve Johnson. On Tuesday, August 21, at 1:30 p.m., the author will address the entire freshman class, along with faculty and staff, at Freshman Convocation at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Immediately after the author's address, students will break up into small groups to discuss his remarks, their thoughts on the book, and their reactions to the Summer Reading assignment. I am asking all interested faculty and staff to participate as facilitators of these discussion groups. We will need a lot of help to make this endeavor successful and we will provide you with the resources you will need to lead these discussions. You can volunteer to be a discussion leader by clicking http://www.clemson.edu/ugs/summer
The Ghost Map, the story of London’s 19th Century cholera epidemic, is extremely relevant to today’s society, as it centers on the importance of national and global preparation for that which is most dreaded-a pandemic. The Ghost Map should generate many questions for students as they read and consider aspects of the world around them that they may not have thought of before. The subjects discussed in Johnson’s book include, but are certainly not limited to, Science, City and Regional Planning, Engineering, Psychology, Sociology, Religion, Health, Pandemic Planning, and Biotechnical analysis, not to mention the human conditions of trust, values, character, motivation, and respect.
I encourage you to join the Summer Reading Program as a group facilitator by clicking the link above. As you all know, this program is a campus-wide effort. Thank you in advance for helping make our fifth Summer Reading Program a success.
Sincerely,
James F. Barker, FAIA
President