Dear First-Year Student,

Welcome to Niagara University!  During college, you’ll have many opportunities to explore new ideas and engage in intellectual study.  Reading is integral to many of these experiences, and it is essential for lifelong learning.

Niagara Reads, Niagara University’s summer reading program for first-year students, introduces you to our intellectual community by reading and discussing a common book.  To begin your journey, this summer we would like you to read The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.  Many faculty, staff, and administrators on campus will also be reading this book.

The Things They Carried is a compelling and very readable book, written in a series of stories.  Itemanates from the author’s experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War.  O’Brien spares few details in describing the horrors of war and how they affect soldiers as well as civilians.  At the same time, he humanizes his soldiers with intricate and telling details about their lives and their personalities.  He explores the myriad emotions elicited by war, from loneliness to fear to rage.  He intertwines stories about soldiers’ lives after the war, offering a window into how deeply war can affect people for years to come.

The Things They Carried will provide you with background knowledge of the Vietnam War, which you will learn more about in HIS 199.  This course, which covers US history since the end of World War II, is required of all Niagara University students.  As you read the book, you may also consider parallels to our current war, as well as differences.

At CARE sessions in July, all first-year students receive a copy of The Things They Carried as a gift from Niagara University. If you were unable to attend CARE but live nearby, you may pick up your copy of the book when you get your ID picture taken, in St, Vincent’s Hall Room 106, Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM or Fridays from 8:30 AM-12:00 PM. Call (716) 286-7310 to schedule a time to get your ID picture taken. If you don’t live nearby, you may borrow the book from a public library to read during the summer and then get your copy when you come to campus in August.

You’ll be discussing The Things They Carried in your “First-Year Niagara” class (NUS 102).  Be sure to finish reading it by August 22.  Your NUS 102 instructor will also ask you to write a two-page response to one of the ten questions you received with your book. 

In conjunction with reading The Things They Carried, you will be required to attend a panel discussion or film in the fall.  You are also encouraged to enter the Niagara Reads contest. We will be awarding three $150 prizes. 

The university community is excited about this opportunity to join you in reading and discussing The Things They Carried.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. 

Sincerely,

Sharon Green
                                                                                                           
Chair, Niagara Reads                                                                                   
Reading Coordinator, Office of Academic Support                                                
(716) 286-8071                                                                                   
sgreen@niagara.edu