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Families invited to discuss ‘This I Believe II’

September 19, 2011

Book cover of "This I Believe II"As families come to campus Friday to participate in Family Weekend, Orientation & First-Year Experience wants to make common reading selection “This I Believe II” part of what makes the weekend special.

An hour-long conversation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in the Heritage Room of the Holmes Student Center.

Students and staff will share some of their “This I Believe” essays in celebration of the Northern Pact and its emphasis on an “open community – where freedom of expression is welcomed while respecting others.”

This event will be a chance for students to connect with their families, who were introduced to the program and the book at orientation this summer. Students and family members all were encouraged to read “This I Believe II,” the 2011-2012 Common Reading Experience selection.

Students also have been invited to join the other events involving the book throughout the fall semester.

During Family Weekend, family members, students, faculty and staff have a chance to reconnect, evaluate and share what they have gleaned from the book so far. Even those parents and other family members who have not read this essay collection can learn more about the book and how it’s being used in classes and events at NIU this fall.

“Creating a common link between students, their family members, and the university is what Family Weekend is all about,” said Lydia Lindenberg, the student editor for Orientation & First-Year Experience at NIU. “The Family Weekend book discussion allows families to share meaningful, thoughtful conversation with their students about their values and beliefs. This type of dialogue is particularly important for families with students in college, because this is the time when they are shaping their own ideas and exploring who they are as individuals.”

Anyone who wishes to write about and share their beliefs can develop their own 500-word essays. There will be an opportunity to share pieces at the Family Weekend Discussion, as well as additional opportunities throughout the rest of the semester.

This informal event immediately follows Coffee Talk, a chance to meet and greet other NIU parents and Huskie Family Connections staff in the Campus Life Building Rotunda.

Call (815) 753-1535 or email orientation@niu.edu for more information.