When incoming freshmen sat down to read Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks this summer, they may not have realized how careful a selection process the book underwent before it was chosen for First Chapter, the university’s freshman reading program.
A committee of 25 faculty and staff members spent the fall 2010 semester compiling a list of more than 100 books, mostly drawing from works that had won awards or had been used at other academic institutions, or were authored by GW professors or were suggested by university partners or publishing houses.
Members of the committee were then asked to review the options and narrow the list, according to committee member Katie Lux, B.A. ’07, M.P.A. ’09, program coordinator for first year initiatives at the Center for Student Engagement.
The committee settled on Rebecca Skloot’s book, which is about Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951), an African American whose cancerous cells were cultured without her permission by a doctor and still live on as the HeLa cell line.
“The book is both engaging and academically oriented. It’s a relatively easy and quick read, pulling people in with a fascinating story,” said Ms. Lux. “It’s a hard book to put down. I think we really succeeded in picking a book that students will enjoy reading and that will challenge how they think.”
First Chapter, which was launched in 2006, provides each incoming freshman with a free copy of the selected book at Colonial Inauguration. “First Chapter helps academically engage students between Colonial Inauguration and the start of classes and builds community among the freshman class,” Ms. Lux said.
According to Ms. Lux, the program’s selection “deals with issues of race, poverty, privacy rights, women’s issues, medical ethics and ownership over one’s body.” The program will host a conversation between faculty and students about the book called Helapalooza on Sept. 1 at 8:30 p.m. in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom.
“While students are not required to read the book, it is strongly recommended,” Ms. Lux said. “There will be a number of programs and events throughout the year tied to the book, and some classes will use the book, so students will benefit from reading it now.”