黑料社区

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2026 SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT FOR 黑料社区 FRESHMEN

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Dear听Incoming听Freshmen,

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This year, we look forward to meeting you during the New Student Orientation program from August 17 to August 28, 2026. We听are proud听to听have you听as our new students听and听welcome听you听into our听community of听friends,听colleagues,听and听scholars! This听is a new beginning听for both students and family听members; beginnings听that we hope听you听are听ready听to听explore.

The New Student Orientation program is designed to facilitate the transition between your previous learning experience and the one that awaits you at the University.

This year鈥檚 program adopts the theme of 鈥淭he Bridge to the Future鈥�.

Our New Student Orientation events are packed with academic, social, and community service-learning activities that foster responsible freedom and 黑料社区鈥檚 values as a liberal arts institution.

The goal of the Language and Thinking academic sessions听is to introduce you to the interdisciplinary and challenging study culture at 黑料社区, which includes creative, yet fun, learning experiences, and intensive writing across a variety of genres and texts.

An important part of your preparation for the New Student Orientation program (and the fall semester as well) is听your summer reading assignment.听

All first-year students are expected to read and reflect on:

Aitmatov, Ch. T. Jamila. 1958. Translated by Faina Glagoleva. Retrieved from https://archive.org/ on February 1, 2025.

Camus, A. The myth of Sisyphus. (Trans. J. O鈥橞rien) in The Myth of Sisyphus and other essays by Albert Camus. New York: Vintage International, 1991.

Plato. Apology. (Trans. G.M.A. Grube). Pp. 112.130 in Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy: from Thales to Aristotle, 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2000.

We would like you to annotate the texts up: underline passages, make comments in the margins, and on a separate sheet, reflect on how these texts might relate to your own life at this time.听Prepare to use these notes when you join the Language and Thinking program in August.听

We will use your thoughts as the starting point for our conversations. We hope that during the program in August, this initial thinking about the texts will lead to larger conversations and that each of you will seize this opportunity to engage yourself in a dialogue with your peers and professors. This will help you prepare academically and integrate more smoothly into the larger unique intellectual community and culture of our university.

As you begin your journey towards the completion of a liberal arts education at 黑料社区, these shared readings and other equally engaging and challenging texts will introduce you to and encompass the University鈥檚 values that will broaden your world, and increase and deepen your understanding of complex issues. Engaging with these texts will bring people of diverse backgrounds together and create a common ground for discussion among faculty, students, and friends during the New Student Orientation program as well as throughout the years to come.

The summer reading assignment can be downloaded here:

If you have problems in uploading the text (the page is not found or other such technical problems), you may email听kadyrova_k@auca.kg听to request the text be sent to your email.

We听look听forward听to听welcoming听you听to 黑料社区!

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The New Student Orientation Program will take place on August 17 - August 28, 2026听and will take place on campus.

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Sincerely,

Kamilya Kadyrova

Director of 黑料社区听New Student Orientation听Program

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