Common Reading eXperience

Each year, all incoming undergraduate students at Xavier read a common book before coming to campus and then write an essay related to that book. During the Manresa student orientation in August, students then discuss their reactions to the book with Xavier faculty, who will have read the writing assignments submitted electronically.

For 2013, the book will be The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010) ISBN 1400052181.

from the author's website:
"Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance."

For more, see the Xavier University Library's LibGuide to this book.

Faculty from all three colleges are warmly invited to engage the incoming students by serving as discussion group leaders on the morning of Friday, August 23, 2013. All group leaders may receive a printed copy of the book.

Please use this form to register as a discussion group leader.

All discussion group leaders are strongly encouraged to attend one of the training sessions in CLC 309:
Wednesday, April 10, 3 - 4pm or Thursday April 11, 2:30 - 3:30 pm.

Name *

First
Last

Email *

College *

Department *

Acquiring the book *

I have a copy of the book or I will acquire a copy of the book
I would like to receive a paperback copy of the book

We intend to record a series of 12 brief video segments with faculty speaking about the book's intersection with their own academic disciplines, to be made available on Road to Xavier in the weeks before students arrive on campus.

Video commentary

I’d be interested in recording a short video of my reflections on this book.

We hope to have representation from across the entire university.