Honors Program Event

Common Read 2011

This coming spring, the University Honors Program is continuing the tradition of a common read. Students have the opportunity to sign up to be a part of a book discussion.

As you may or may not know, the Honors program is striving to make an impact in the broad field of water issues. In keeping with that theme, the book for the Common Read is Elizabeth Royte’s Bottlemania.

Critically acclaimed and a blast to read, Bottlemania explores the issues of water ownership and the transformation of water into a commodity. This book is a fascinating adventure into the core of corporate water policy and the struggle for the world’s most precious resource.

The main focus of the Common Read is to read and discuss the book at hand in a setting that promotes in-depth analysis and thought. On the other hand, the Common Read is also a fun and enlightening way to meet and interact with other Honors students and faculty. The book is catalyst for conversations about subjects that touch all of our lives and a conduit by which one can go forth into the wider world to learn more.

Individuals participating in the Common Read are eligible to receive credit or to read along and discuss without credit. Do note that the credit from this course can be applied to a semester of your choosing. But, in order to receive credit, you must first complete a few requirements.

To Earn Credit:

  • Read the book: whenever you want before the discussion
  • Chose 1 outside water-oriented event including, but not limited to:
    1. Value of Water Symposium: November 29, 2010
      Hyland Hall, Timmerman Auditorium from 5:30-7:30pm
    2. Movie: Confirm times with Honors for credit
      The Honors Office does have movies available to be watched in the Conference Room... they are not available for check-out
    3. Human Right to Water: February 9, 2011
      Location & time to be determined
  • Participate in group to make poster: Posters due March 7, 2011
  • Discussion at the Dinner: March 10, 2011, 6pm at a local church

The cost of the Common Read is $10 to students. As soon as people begin to respond and turn in money to the Honors Office, books will be ordered and distributed. In addition, groups will be formed once the final number of participants has been established, so hang tight for more information. Since a large chunk of the Common Read is over Winterim, group work will be designed to be completed primarily online. The poster the group creates will be related to an issue the group decides to research. Again, do not fret about the projects; more instruction will be given later.

To participate in this event, please e-mail honors@uww.edu and let us know so we can start collecting a count for book orders.