Lehigh Valley

Gallery Exhibit: 'Common Reading, Uncommon Learning'

First-year students will showcase their reflections on one of three books in a multimedia exhibition at The Gallery at Penn State Lehigh Valley. "Common Reading, Uncommon Learning" runs from Dec. 8 to 22 and will open with a reception in the gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 8. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

During the first year at Penn State, all students are required to take a for-credit course that serves as an introduction not only to the University, but also to skills for learning and resources available to them. As part of the fall semester course, students were asked to choose from one of three books to read and reflect on during common reading sessions. The assignment culminates with a final project presented in multiple formats -- audio, visual and interactive.

In this exhibition, visitors can see the visual interpretations of personal triumph from a life of poverty and mental illness by the readers of "The Glass Castle," by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, 2005); listen to the personal interviews conducted by the students who chose the StoryCorps-based "Listening is an Act of Love," by Dave Isay (The Penguin Press HC, 2007); and interact with digital posters representing the plight of refugees from the readers of "Outcasts United," by Warren St. John (Spiegel and Grau, 2009).

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery is located on the third floor of the campus at 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, and it is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact Ann Lalik, gallery coordinator, at 610-285-5261 or e-mail aal13@psu.edu.

Last Updated November 17, 2010

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