Summer Reading Program

Information on "Whisper of the River" by Ferrol Sams

Guidebook | Timeline |

Reading |

Directions |

Move-In

|  Mercerian |

Traditions |

FAQ's

New Student Reading Assignment 

Summer Reading Book Whisper of the River by: Ferrol Sams View it here Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions - Or - Contact Academic and Advising Services orientation@mercer.edu (478) 301-4300

The Whisper of the River
All new students will have the opportunity to continue a Mercer  tradition of reading Ferrol Sams' The Whisper of the River. This novel is a work of regional fiction based loosely on the author's experience at Mercer Univeristy. The setting of Willingham University closely mirrors the Mercer University of the 1930s. Porter Osborne, Jr. leaves his rural Georgia home "to meet the world at Willingham University, armed with the knowledge that he had been 'raised right' in the best Baptist tradition." Although the book is set more than sixty years ago, many of the issues are still relevant to students entering college in 2012. The author, Ferrol Sams, is an alumnus of Mercer University.

During Bear Beginnings (August 18-20, 2012), you will join your Peer Advisor and a small group of your classmates to discuss the novel and its implications. Small group activities will also allow you to explore the major themes of Porter's experiences.

Learn more about campus in Porter Osborne's day here.

Summer Reading Essay Contest
Students are invited to submit an essay for the First-Year Student Summer Writing Award. This award recognizes a new first-year student's essay selected for its outstanding writing and reflection on Mercer's summer reading, The Whisper of the River. A committee comprised of faculty and staff will select the winner, who will receive a gift card to the Mercer Bookstore and have her or his name added to a plaque of past recipients.

If you would like to participate, please respond to the following questions in a single essay:
Porter "meets the world" at Willingham University, and he is shaped by the events and persons he encounters there. How do you hope to grow as a person while at Mercer? In what ways do you think a Mercer education will allow you to make a contribution to the world? What contributions do you hope to make?

Successful essays will include a development of a central thesis as well as support for all ideas presented. Grammar, punctuation, and style will be assessed. Essays must be no longer than 1000 words, and they must be typed, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins.

Please submit one entry by mail to the address below. The deadline for all entries is Friday, July 27, 2012.
Address: The Office of Academic and Advising Services | Penfield Hall | Mercer University | 1400 Coleman Ave. | Macon, GA 31207