[052] Creating A Community From A Group of Strangers

CREATING A COMMUNITY FROM A GROUP OF STRANGERS
MTSU Convocation to Feature Address by ‘Outcasts United’ Author St. John

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 20, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—Creating a community from a group of strangers is the focus of author Warren St. John’s Outcasts United, and it’s also the goal of MTSU’s annual University Convocation, where St. John is scheduled to speak on Sunday, Aug. 29.
The author’s 2 p.m. address at Murphy Center will help mark the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year at MTSU, when Convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community. Faculty march in their regalia to dramatic compositions performed by the MTSU Band of Blue, and the traditions and rituals of the university are explained to the newest members of the MTSU family.
St. John’s national bestseller, the 2010 Summer Reading Selection for the university, chronicles the impromptu social experiment created when a small town in Georgia became a center for refugee resettlement and one woman attempted to change lives through soccer.
St. John, a native of Birmingham, Ala., has written for the New York Observer, The New Yorker, Wired and Slate, in addition to his work as a reporter for The New York Times. His first book, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania, was named one of Sports Illustrated’s best books of the year, and ranked No. 1 on The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of the best books ever written about collegiate athletics.
MTSU’s Summer Reading Program, created in 2002, aims to provide a unifying experience for entering freshmen, give them a chance to read and interact with acclaimed authors and affirm the importance of reading for a successful and fulfilling life.
Incoming freshmen are expected to read the book before fall classes start Aug. 28, and all University 1010 classes will discuss the selection. Faculty members also are being encouraged to incorporate the book into their fall lesson plans.
Outcasts United may be purchased on campus and at local bookstores. It’s available in hardback and paperback, and online sellers also may have used copies. For more information about the book, its subjects and its author, visit http://outcastsunited.com.
The University Convocation is free and open to the public. First-year students are expected to attend; their families and members of the MTSU and Murfreesboro communities are welcome to attend. Call 615-898-2454 for more information, or visit www.mtsunews.com.

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IN BRIEF: Author Warren St. John, whose book Outcasts United chronicles an impromptu social experiment created when a small town-turned-refugee resettlement center tried soccer as a unifying element, is the guest speaker at MTSU’s annual University Convocation on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m. in Murphy Center on Middle Tennessee Boulevard. The event, which is free and open to the public, is an annual ceremony welcoming new students into the MTSU learning community. For more information, call 615-898-2454.


For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.


NOTE: Media needing a color JPEG of St. John’s book cover and/or a headshot of the author should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-538