Summer Reading

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Every incoming Colgate class participates in the tradition of a shared summer reading.

 

2025 Summer Reading Selection

Primary Trust

Primary Trust
Eboni Booth

Pulitzer Prize in Drama winner, Eboni Booth, is a graduate of Juilliard’s playwriting program and the University of Vermont, and she is currently resident playwright at New Dramatists in New York City.

The play tells the story of Kenneth, a 30-something suburban bookstore worker with an imaginary friend who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. After being laid off from his long-time job, he considers applying for a new one at the Primary Trust Bank. Primary Trust is an inventive and hopeful story about modern loneliness, the heroism of everyday kindness, and the joy of finding community in unexpected places.

The Summer Reading Selection Committee, composed of faculty, staff, and student representatives,  stewarded the selection of the text.
 

Accessing Your Copy

First-year students have free access to an electronic copy of Booth’s play. Note: You will need to log in with your new Colgate credentials.

Summer Assignment

Due: Monday, August 11

Submit Your Assignment
We recommend that you write your responses in a separate program and then copy-paste them into the submission form.

The first exercise is a brief letter of introduction written to your FSEM instructor and academic advisor. Use the following prompts in your response:

  • What would you like your FSEM instructor and administrative advisor to know about you?
  • What experiences have shaped you as a person and student?
  • What are your hopes and/or concerns for the next four years?
  • What resources will you need to thrive–academically, socially, and physically, in terms of overall wellness–in your new community?

This is an excellent way to introduce yourself to some of the key mentors in your first-year experience, so please be thoughtful in your response.

The second part of your assignment is to read Primary Trust by Eboni Booth and then craft a response (750-1000 words) to the prompt below:

  • What challenges does Kenneth have connecting to other people and building rewarding relationships?
  • To what extent do you relate to Kenneth’s struggles and unique personality?
  • How do the characters in the play interact in ways that open or close possibilities for social connection?

Please note:

  • While this is not a graded assignment, your responses will be shared with your First-Year Seminar (FSEM) instructor and your administrative advisor (i.e., dean), so you will want to make a positive impression here.
  • You may use a basic spelling and grammar checker for minor edits, such as correcting typos or fixing subject-verb agreement. However, you should not use AI-powered tools or AI features (e.g., ChatGPT or Grammarly's AI assistant) to rewrite, reorganize, or expand your work. The writing you submit should be your original ideas, in your unique voice.

About the Summer Reading Program

This is the first opportunity for new students to engage with the practice of the liberal arts — students engaging in dialogue with faculty and staff members on questions that transcend disciplinary interests and that require independent analysis. Through these conversations, which incorporate multiple perspectives, students synthesize a coherent understanding of human experience. The shared summer reading also provides a foundation for a variety of related events throughout your first year at Colgate.

In addition, your responses to the summer reading will provide a way to introduce yourself to your faculty adviser (your First-Year Seminar instructor) and administrative dean so that they can get to know you better.