Many Ohio State freshmen got a jump on the school year by reading recommended books.
The Buckeye Book Community joins with First Year Experience each year to determine which books will be handed out to incoming freshmen during orientation.
Freshmen are encouraged to read the novels before they return for school in the fall.
One copy is given to each first-year student, which is about 6,000 copies total, said Laura Lembo Kraus, associate director of undergraduate admissions and FYE.
Books are chosen based upon individual colleges within OSU. This allows for the chosen books to relate specifically to each students field of study, Kraus said.
Four books were chosen for the 2005 school year.
The Colleges of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering choose "Rocket Boys," by Homer H. Hickam Jr. The book was chosen based on timeliness, student interest and an effort to broaden students' horizons, said Janeen Sands, a College of Engineering academic adviser.
"This book is about discovery, imagination and persistence in a dream and that's what engineering is," Sands said.
"Rocket Boys" was chosen in May after the two colleges reviewed 25-30 books, Sands said.
After reading the book, Sarah Pilkington, a freshman in biology, said "'Rocket Boys' was a lot of research and trial and error, leaving you with the lesson to never give up."
Because two large colleges chose this book together, there could be more follow-up opportunities such as meeting authors, film groups and book discussions in residence halls, Sands said.
Hickam will be visiting OSU at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Mershon Auditorium.
The school of Physical Activity and Educational Services along with the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences chose "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal," by Eric Schlosser.
Kynthia Droesch, a College of Education academic program coordinator, said students can learn a great deal about wellness from the book. It teaches students how to eat balanced meals and put more focus on taking care of themselves, she said.
Paul A. Heimberger, a Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences academic adviser, said the book has a cynical side but students can gain a lot from reading it.
The book gives students a chance to explore academic freedom and to develop "opinions on contemporary issues based on the best available evidence," Heimberger said.
The School of Physical Activity and Educational Services has set up an essay contest with two questions concerning Schlosser's book.
Students are asked to answer at least one of the two questions to participate in the contest. Faculty will review the essays and choose four winners. Each will receive a $100 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble, The Ohio State University Bookstore.
The school of Allied Medical Professions and the Colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing and Dentistry decided on "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," by Anne Fadiman.
The novel puts a strong focus on humanity and medicine and allows for students to get a perspective on communication barriers in the medical world.
Jennifer Pecora, an academic adviser for the College of Pharmacy, said this novel will help students think about personal interaction while preparing them for their future careers.
The book was chosen primarily based on its appeal to all of the participating health programs, Pecora said.
Sachin Sharma, a freshman in allied medical professions, said he found the book repetitive and thought it dragged.
"I found that I was forcing myself to read it," he said.
Pecora said she is trying to plan a trip for students based on their knowledge from reading the novel.
Pecora said travel plans to either Merced, Cali., the setting of the book, or Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Center for Hmong Cultural Resources and Research Center, are being discussed. She said both of these places would be great experience for students to learn more about the Hmong culture that the book centers around.
Plans for the trip will be made during fall quarter, and Pecora is optimistic that faculty and students will be able to travel to one of the two destinations in early December.
The fourth book, chosen by the Fisher College of Business was "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are doing Wrong," by David Callahan.
The Fisher College of Business has put a strong focus on ethics when choosing its books for freshmen, and that book is a continuation of that theme said Jay Yutzey, the business college executive director.
Yutzey said the decision for the book was designed to allow students concerned about ethics to reflect and discuss them openly in the fall.
David Callahan will be visiting OSU at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Ohio Union Conference Theatre.
All four books will be discussed in freshmen survey classes during fall quarter.
"Students will get the chance to talk about the books, discuss specific issues, and experience something very different than what they had in high school," she said.
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