Freshman Reading Program
- Share a common experience with other new students.
- Learn about UVU's intellectual culture.
- Make new friends.
- This book is a required text for SLSS 1000 and ENGH 1000.
The Sun Does Shine
About The Book
Anthony Ray Hinton was poor and black when he was convicted of two murders he hadn't committed. For the next three decades he was trapped in solitary confinement in a tiny cell on death row. Eventually his case was taken up by the award-winning lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, who managed to have him exonerated, though it took 15 years for this to happen. How did Hinton cope with the mental and emotional torture of his situation, and emerge full of compassion and forgiveness? This is a story of hope and the resilience of the human spirit.
"I've met Anthony Ray Hinton, and he's an extraordinary man. He stands out among exonerees (and I know hundreds of them) for his dignity and gentle soul encased in his massive frame. His story is important and compelling. Bryan Stevenson, a national treasure and central character in this story, fought tirelessly for over fifteen years and won a rare and landmark case in the United States Supreme Court. The Sun Does Shine is the gripping and inspirational story that the public has been waiting for."
— Barry Scheck, Attorney, Director of the Innocence Project
Events
Book Discussion
UVU President: Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez
When: Tuesday, November 17th @ 4:30 pm
Where: Virtual Event hosted by Microsoft Teams
Click HERE to access the event. Access to the event opens at 4:20 p.m. The discussion will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Authors Visit
Author: Anthony Ray Hinton
When: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 1:00pm
Where: Virtual Event
Mr. Hinton's keynote will be included as part of the MLK Commemoration Week activities.
About The Program
Goal/Purpose
Aims to provide a common academic experience, to introduce students to intellectual life at the university, to create a greater sense of community among students, faculty, and staff, emphasize the value of reading, and establish the connection between reading, intellectual development, and other cultural events on campus.Participation Credit
Required text for SLSS 1000, ENGH 0890, and some ENGL 1010 courses. Students not enrolled in these courses are encouraged to participate in this unique opportunity to exchange your ideas about the book with the university president, faculty members, and your peers. Participation does not count for course credit.How to Get a Copy
All new freshmen for the 2020-2021 academic year will have the option of receiving either a free UVU-custom (printed) copy of The Sun Does Shine or a free ebook version. To order your free copy use this form. Books will be available beginning July 2020.Events
The program begins with a book discussion with the university president. Throughout the year, there will be many other events and activities on campus related to the themes of the book.Why this book
A faculty committee recommends five books to the University President, who then makes the final selection.Questions
Please send an email to success@uvu.edu for answers to any other questions not listed above.Faculty
When faculty from diverse academic disciplines integrate a common text into their freshmen level courses, we achieve the following objectives:
Objective 1
Facilitate a universal academic experience that enables dialogue and learning around a common point of reference.
Our incoming freshman body is diverse and non-residential. The freshman reading book provides a common academic experience that can help students of varying backgrounds and academic preparedness to connect with one another in an educationally purposeful way.
Objective 2
Initiate a universal academic experience that introduces reading as a gateway to meaningful exploration of a topic via a variety of academic disciplines.
Freshman students benefit from observing how a central topic can be applied and explored from a variety of methods and points of view. i.e., how might a sociologist apply this topic? Mathematician? Biologist? Etc. This process helps to reinforce the benefits of a solid general educational core, enhances critical thinking skills, and possibly assists students with their major and career choices.
Outcome
When new freshmen encounter the freshman reading book in multiple academic and social settings, they experience a learning model that provides “environments and experiences that bring students to discover and construct knowledge for themselves” (Barr and Tagg, 1995, p. 12), moving them beyond the traditional instructional model of simply receiving information. This process more effectively enables students to become “members of communities of learners that make discoveries and solve problems” (Barr and Tagg, 1995).
Resources
- Faculty ideas for incorporating the freshman reading book into your classroom
- About the author, Anthony Ray Hinton
- Anthony Ray Hinton leaving Jefferson County Jail
- TedTalk with Bryan Stevenson attorney for Anthony Ray Hinton – We Need to Talk About an Injustice
- 60 Minutes Interview
- Media Coverage
- The Equal Justice Initiative
- Attend events to strengthen peer connections within your class and reinforce the concept of reading as a gateway to the academic culture of UVU.
If you have any ideas on how UVU can more dynamically integrate the freshman book into course curriculum and campus events, we'd love to hear them!
