FYRE: The First Year Reading Experience at UTC
2012-2013’s FYRE book is Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference, by Warren St. John.
Women's soccer team members Shelbey Farmer and Jordan
Middleton and Provost Dr. Phil Oldham unveil Outcasts
United as the 2012-2013 FYRE book.
About the Book:
Outcasts United is the story of a season in the life of the Fugees, a soccer team from Clarkston, Georgia, whose members are refugees from conflict zones in Europe, Africa and Asia. It’s the story of their coach, Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian-American whose initial plan to start a low-key soccer team for refugee boys evolved into a driven commitment to her players and their families. And it is the story of Clarkston, a community outside of Atlanta which saw itself as an ordinary southern town until nonprofit agencies made it a center for refugee settlement and it became one of the most socially diverse cities in the United States.
As it follows the Fugees on and off the field, Outcasts United explores the power of individuals to make a difference and the limits of that power, the ways in which people adapt to a rapidly evolving world, and the challenges of life in what author Warren St. John, in the introduction, describes as “a raw and exceptionally charged experiment in getting along.”
Links about the Book: Links about the Program:
Previous Years' Selections: |
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FYRE FAQs:
How do I get a copy of the book? Copies of Outcasts United will be distributed at orientation during the summer of 2012.
Will the book be used in any of my classes? Yes! Members of the English Department will be using the book in English 1010 (Rhetoric and Composition), and other faculty members may also incorporate it into their classes.
What happens if I don’t read the book? All incoming first-year students are expected to read the FYRE book. Since there is an expectation that you will have completed the book by the first week of school, failure to do so may result in poor classroom performance and a sense that you are “behind” before classes have even begun.
Why a First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) Program? Each fall, university-level students embark on a unique journey. At UTC, we strive to alleviate some of the concerns shared by numerous first-year students by joining them in a common experience. Not only will our students share the joys, frustrations, and excitement of attending college for the first time, they will be drawn together in a more intimate common experience even before they enter their first class meeting.
How was the book chosen? The entire UTC community – students, faculty, and staff – was invited to submit suggestions regarding the book for the coming academic year. From the suggested books, the First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) Committee chose its finalists by using the following criteria:
- Readability and potential for engaging students;
- Richness of content and themes, i.e. the book is well written and is a “good read”; widely recognized;
- Relevance to first-year students, current society, or local community;
- Appeal to a wide range of student interests and backgrounds;
- Possibilities for additional programming, especially inclusion in first-year courses or other areas of the curriculum;
- Potential for interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary discussion and integration into the curriculum;
- Accessibility for all students;
- Cost (not to be cost prohibitive);
- Length;
- Accurate and respectful portrayals of diverse cultures;
- Potential to spark lively discussion.
Committee members read the books, considered the criteria, and made the selection. We hope you enjoy the book!
About the FYRE Program:
The First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) program at UTC introduces students to the academic and intellectual culture of university life. The program provides a positive reading experience for students, faculty, and staff, one that holds at its core the belief that reading is an integral part of the university experience. Likewise, the program fosters a sense of community among students, faculty, and staff. Because the selected FYRE book is not intended to be specific to any one academic discipline, students, faculty, and staff find the book and its subject matter a touchstone for reference and discussion across the campus.
FYRE Program Goals:
- To provide a common experience for first-year learners to facilitate the transition into UTC’s academic community;
- To build an intellectual community among first-year learners, returning students, faculty, and staff;
- To help students make connections between classroom and out-of-classroom experiences;
- To engage students in discussions surrounding current societal issues.
Benefits of a First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) Program:
- Like other “common reading” programs, FYRE offers a unique opportunity to capture the first-year student prior to their entering the classroom.
- It develops a sense of community across UTC’s campus, cultivates a connection to the university, and it feeds intelligent, life-long learners.
- It strengthens our conversations and connects our disciplines/communities across the campus.
- Programming, guest speakers, service-oriented and social activities based on the content of the book combine to allow the students to come away with a sense of unity and commitment to their studies, their peers, and their community.
