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“Education is a journey not a destination. It is a trip that will last a lifetime.” Dr. Susan Speece, Chancellor, 2002.
The Common Reading selection should be read by all incoming baccalaureate students prior to Orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. The purpose of the Common Reading is to provide all first-year students with an enjoyable and positive reading experience to reinforce the message that reading is an integral part of the college experience, and to foster a sense of community among our first-year students. The First-Year Seminar (FYS) course will include academic expectations based on the content of the common reading selection.
2008-2009 Common Reading: The Alchemist, by Paul Coelho
The Alchemist tells us the story of a young shepherd who seeks a treasure known only to him in his dreams. Under the guidance of many people he encounters along the way, Santiago embarks on a journey with the advice from a mystifying old man, "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," he tells him. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." We learn of the many lessons Santiago experiences along his expedition which remind us of our own personal journeys. Follow Santiago on his personal quest as you seek your personal legend at Penn State Berks. Visit Paul Coelho's official web site for more information about The Alchemist.
Prologue from The Alchemist
The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus. The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who daily knelt beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called the narcissus. But this was not how the author of the book ended the story. He said that when Narcissus died, the Goddesses of the Forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears. "Why do you weep?" the Goddesses asked. "I weep for Narcissus," the lake replied. "Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus," they said, "for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand." "But..... was Narcissus beautiful?" the lake asked. "Who better than you to know that?" the Goddesses said in wonder, "After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!!" The lake was silent for some time. Finally it said: "I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected." "What a lovely story," the alchemist thought.
