The summer of 1997 marked the inauguration of a required reading assignment for incoming freshmen, an assignment to be completed before the start of the fall semester.

The required text, Julia Alvarez's "In the Time of the Butterflies," tells the true story of four sisters who risked their lives by participating in the resistance to the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1960.

The book was chosen by a committee of faculty members because of its powerful messages of personal development, freedom and courage. The committee felt college students should hear such messages.

After reading the novel, freshmen participated in discussion sessions led by faculty members during Phase II Orientation.

In addition to the initial discussions, the book may be discussed in more detail in classes such as Freshmen Seminar and English 1000 and 1100.

"We wanted the students to start their semester with an academic emphasis, but in a way that would also engage students," said program co-chairman Jimmy Smith. Smith said the need for common ground among students was also a factor in assigning the reading.

Author Julia Alvarez will speak at Convocation September 4. The decision to have her speak came after the decision to use her book in the program, according to Smith.

Smith said faculty reactions to Phase II Orientation discussions have been positive so far.

Student reaction to the reading has been mixed, however. Many students said they simply found the book uninteresting.

"I think the idea of summer reading is good, but next time find a better book," said Matthew D. Miller of Statesville.

However, Miller did find the Phase II discussions interesting. "The discussions were nice. We got into some good arguments," he said.

"The book is good in that it teaches us to evaluate why we do things," said Forrest C. Haire of Wilmington. "But it's hard for us to really relate to the situation of the women in the story."

Some feedback suggests that female students enjoyed reading the book more than males.

"I liked it, but it was just so hard to find time during the summer to actually read it," said Heather M. Dixon of Reidsville.

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