Summer Reading/Reflection
Assignment
The theme of our 2008 First-Year
Symposium will be ‘Friendship
and Community’. In preparation
for this course, all incoming freshmen
will receive a copy of Colors
of the Mountain by Da Chen.
We are asking you to read this book
in its entirety before arriving on
campus, to think about it, and to
come prepared to discuss it in the
first class sessions.
It is an autobiographical account
of a young man growing up in mainland
(‘Red’) China during
and after the so-called Cultural
Revolution. We have chosen it not
only because it is a fascinating
and exotic story but also because
it is full of observations on friendship
and community, both good and bad. It
will provide background and a common
point of reference for our study
in the class of friendship and community
in the Western and Benedictine tradition.
More detailed instructions on all
this, as well as more information
on the First Year Symposium, will
be enclosed with the book.
- Dr. Gerald Malsbary, Director of
First-Year Symposium
