Every year the incoming class reads an assigned novel before their arrival on campus, which many professors integrate into their curriculum. This year's "Freshman Read" They Come Back Singing was written by Fr. Gary Smith. He witnessed villages unite in tradition through song with his work with the refugees in Uganda. Fr. Gary Smith helped transform communities by helping them find the love of Christ and unite them together in traditions. As a true embodiment of this year's (Orientation) theme, "Unite in Tradition," we invite you to gain inspiration from his story.

We believe that there are traditions wherever you go and everyone will have the opportunity to unite together as the Class of 2016. What traditions will you find or even create at Gonzaga? O-Core will be the first to show you some amazing traditions on campus and help you unite together with your fellow Zags. So start your class tradition by getting started on this summer's Freshmen Read!

Summary - For years, Gary Smith, a Jesuit priest, led a familiar life in the Pacific Northwest. Then, one day in 2000, he left that life behind to spend six years among Sudanese refugees struggling to survive in refugee camps in northern Uganda. He traveled to this dangerous, pitiless place to be with these forsaken people out of a conviction that "Jesuits should be going where no one else goes." Smith's journal is a vivid, inspiring account of the deep connections he forged during his life-changing experience with the Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Along the way, he discovered suffering people who, despite being displaced by a brutal civil war, find the strength to let go of the many and deep sorrows of the past. Ultimately, They Come Back Singing is a window to the spiritual life and growth of a priest whose generous spirit and genuine love allow him to serve-and be served-in truly extraordinary ways.