Warrington freshman wins UF’s 2008-09 Common Reading Essay Contest

Gainesville, Fla. – Amber Laniewski, a first-year student in the Warrington College of Business Administration, is one of two winners of the university’s 2008-09 Common Reading Program Essay Contest. Amber, an Englewood resident, submitted an essay based on this year’s common reading book “When the Rivers Run Dry: Water—The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century,” written by freelance journalist Fred Pearce.

Her essay, “Water as a Catalyst for Cooperation, Not a Source of Conflict,” calls on developed nations to assist with global water conservation efforts and suggests that water conservation can be “the medium for epic levels of cooperation and cohabitation among humanity.” Amber became aware of global water scarcity when she debated the topic in a Model United Nations simulation of the African Union in high school. When asked why business majors should be interested in this book, Amber said, “Students studying business today must realize they will be entering a business world that places increasing value on social and environmental responsibility. We will be entering a job market which will be seeking fresh ideas for how to mutually promote sustainable socio-economic development and environmental sustainability.”

UF’s Common Reading Essay Contest is intended to celebrate the scholarship of University of Florida students and their engagement in important social issues.