Middle Tennessee State University is trying to open up the world to its incoming freshmen through a summer reading adventure.
The Summer Reading Program is encouraging the faculty and staff of the university to incorporate the book “Three Cups of Tea” into their curriculum and discussion this fall.
All incoming freshmen (and new students I suppose) are required to read the book before beginning classes in the fall.
The full title “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time” is written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.
The adventure began in 1993 when Mortenson set out to honor the passing of his sister by climbing the second highest mountain in the world, Pakistan’s K2. After the climb he visited the local village of Korphe. One day he met a group of children who were using sticks to write in sand. Mortenson made a promise to help the children get a school building.
Mortenson is a cofounder of Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace. He has made it a life goal to support literacy and community-based education for girls in the remote mountain areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
MTSU feels that the book would create a wonderful wide range of discussion topics for its students. The book can be used in the subject areas of communication, education, geography, sociology, political science, history, and psychology.
The university is hoping that all of the faculty members make good use of the book in their classes by using it for writing prompts and more. The idea behind the use of the book is to help the students realize what a difference one person can make in the world.
Students can purchase the book from the school bookstore or buy it from a vendor or used store of their choice. The book should be read before August 25 and will be discussed in University 1010 classes.