UB freshmen will finally put a face to a name Thursday night for the author of their UB101 reading, Alex Kotlowitz, who opens up the 19th annual Distinguished Speakers Series at 8 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
Kotlowitz's book, "There Are No Children Here," describes the extreme hardships that young people endure growing up in the public housing projects of Chicago and is the 2005 UB Reads selection.
UB Reads is a program that chooses a book each year to present an important message to the first-year student community. According to William Regan, director of conferences and special events, organizers from UB Reads also coordinate an opportunity to meet the author.
And to accompany the summer-reading selection, UB Reads runs an annual writing contest, asking first-year students to write an essay explaining how they may use the lessons in "There Are No Children Here," along with their UB education, to make a positive impact on the world.
The results of the contest will be announced prior to the lecture. The winner receives free tuition for one semester.
Regan said over 1,000 tickets have already been distributed to first-year students through UB101 classes. Those UB101 students who have read Kotlowitz's book are required to attend his lecture, but some say despite the requirement, they are looking forward to the speaker.
"I have to go to the lecture for UB101," said Mike Cabral, sophomore pharmacy major. "I am interested because he is distinguished for a reason and I think he has a lot to bring to the table."
"There Are No Children Here," Kotlowitz's first book, was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the 150 most important books of the 20th century, and half a million copies have been sold since the first printing in 1991.
The vivid imagery of poverty and violence conveyed in "There Are No Children Here" was done so through the eyes of two young brothers, whom Kotlowitz met while writing a freelance news story.
Though many freshmen will attend the lecture because of class requirements, many students not in the UB101 classes said they would not attend because of unfamiliarity with Kotlowitz and his work.
Joseph DeVincenzo, junior electrical engineering major, said he doesn't plan on going, but he assumes it will attract the freshman audience since they had to read the book.
"Some of the people part of the series are popular and some are not as advertised as they should be," DeVincenzo said.
Free tickets are still available for students with proper UB identification at the Alumni Arena box office.
Additional reporting by Jessica Packard, News Editor
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
