Seton Hill University celebrated the beginning of the new academic year with an Opening Liturgy, followed by a campus-wide book discussion of “Three Cups of Tea.”

Approximately 53 book discussion groups of approximately 10 participants met in spaces throughout Seton Hill’s hilltop campus to discuss “Three Cups of Tea.”
The groups reconvened in Cecilian Hall to listen to a panel presentation and share their thoughts on the book.

Every summer, incoming Seton Hill first year and transfer students receive a complimentary copy of a novel or nonfiction work, chosen by Seton Hill’s Summer Reading Committee on the caliber of its writing, relevance to contemporary issues, and the interest of the community in its topic. The book is also provided to Seton Hill faculty, staff and upperclassmen who wish to take part in group book discussions with the freshman class at the beginning of the fall semester.

This year, the Seton Hill community read the number one New York Times Best Seller “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The authors recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to the successful establishment of schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia.