"The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean... FAU [Florida Atlantic University] freshmen have been asked to read the book this summer as part of a new program the school hopes will promote communication within the 2,200-student class. ... It's the first time FAU has asked students to read a book before classes begin Aug. 25... getting some lukewarm responses to the voluntary program. ... in the future, the summer reading selection could be part of the freshmen year English curriculum. ... the school has... motive for pushing the book: improving its freshmen retention rate.
About 35 percent of FAU's freshmen graduate within six years, according to numbers... compiled last year. At that rate, just 770 of the estimated 2,200 freshmen this fall will graduate. The average six-year graduation rate for Florida's 11 universities is 62 percent. Freshmen can join a discussion about The Orchid Thief through a virtual chat room, where they also will be given... a chance to talk... ith other freshmen and older students acting as mentors. Lee Smith, an FAU senior and mentor in the program, said she thinks the book will offer common ground for students... "This will give them a chance to feel like they are part of the group from the beginning," Smith said. "Rather than coming in alienated, they can start right from the first day of class and have a group they are already participating with." The book chronicles Laroche's obsession with cloning rare orchids and his recruitment of Seminole Indian Tribe members to help him. He was arrested in 1994 for poaching orchids in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. The book was made into the movie Adaptation in 2002. A committee chose The Orchid Thief because it is set in South Florida and has many elements that could be of interest to students moving to Boca Raton... Orlean is scheduled to speak at FAU's freshmen convocation in August and will sign books at a reception following the event... URL : http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/07/01/s10c_FAUBOOK_0701.html ************* Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
