Rice University | News & Media

8/16/2007

Common reading program announced

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

All incoming undergraduates and other members of the Rice community are invited to read Elizabeth Kolbert's "Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change," and participate in follow-up discussions and activities as part of this year's Rice Common Reading program.

The program, which is sponsored by the Dean of Undergraduates, Robin Forman, provides freshmen with a free book, a series of fall events to discuss the reading and Web pages with additional resources. O Week coordinators and advisers, colleges masters, resident associates and coordinators, peer academic advisers and college academic fellows also receive free copies of the book.

"The Common Reading is a way for Rice to welcome students to the university's intellectual community and provides a shared experience for the first-year class," said Forman. “Beyond these goals for new students, the Common Reading also provides a wonderful opportunity to stimulate discussions across the Rice community on one of the most pressing issues of the day.”

This year’s book selection provides a serious examination of global climate change that avoids the charged rhetoric of alarmists, naysayers and politicians.

The Common Reading events begin with the faculty welcome address Aug. 20 by
Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, senior fellow in science and technology policy at Rice's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and professor of physics and astronomy. Lane served as director of the National Science Foundation and science adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Other events for the common reading will be held:

•    Aug. 23, New students discuss the common reading over dinner at the colleges.

•    Aug. 29, 7 p.m., Screening of the film "Kilowatt Ours" at Rice Media Center.

•    Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Screening of the film "Dimming the Sun," at Rice Media Center. Hosted by Daniel Cohan, assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering.

•    Sept. 26, noon, Rice Readers discuss "Field Notes from a Catastrophe," at the Humanities Bldg., Room 115.

•    Oct. 1, Energy conservation competition between north and south colleges begins.

•    Oct. 24, 4 p.m., Discussion on green construction and sustainability on campus. Hosted by Richard Johnson, director of sustainability, Facilities Engineering and Planning.

•    Nov. 14, 7 p.m., Screening of the film "Green: The New Red, White and Blue" at Rice Media Center.

A community-wide conversation on the common reading will be announced at a later date.

A Rice faculty member will introduce each film and facilitate a question and answer period after the showing. The films are cosponsored by the Rice Environmental Club. "Kilowatt Ours" is also cosponsored by the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN).

Forman invites the entire Rice community to participate in the common reading. Additional copies of Kolbert's book are available at a discount in the Rice bookstore.

Learn more about the program and find related links about global warming on the Common Reading Web pages. Preview the films at these Web sites:

http://www.kilowattours.org/news-media-resources.php

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/dimming.html

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