Three Cups of Tea fills Brown

Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson spoke before a packed Brown Chapel last Monday evening. A Girl Scout group, posing with Mortenson afterwards, sat on stage to hear him speak about opening schools for girls and boys in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Photos by Valerie Breen

More than 1,800 community members flooded the campus last Monday night to hear author Greg Mortenson speak about the book Three Cups of Tea, which he co-wrote with acclaimed journalist David Oliver Relin. The book, which has been on The New York Times bestseller list for 54 weeks, is the focus of citywide book club, “One Book, One San Diego.”

San Diegans voted and selected the book from a list of titles proposed by an advisory committee, according to Valerie Breen, KPBS marketing and outreach coordinator. KPBS and the San Diego Public Library partner on the program, which encourages residents to read the same book at the same time as a community-wide activity. Readers can participate in online forums or local discussion groups.

Three Cups of Tea, as described in the Monday night presentation, follows Mortenson’s mission to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The story begins with a failed attempt to scale the 28,000-foot K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Ill and injured, Mortenson is nursed back to health by the people of Korphe, Pakistan. Touched by their generosity, Mortenson promises to build the village children a school but is only able to deliver on his promise three years later, after overcoming numerous personal and financial obstacles.

“Greg Mortenson went through an incredible amount of trouble to build the children of Korphe a school ... simply out of love,” said second-year biology-chemistry major Matt Butler, who attended the event. “I don’t know many people willing to help others that are less fortunate, even when it is convenient.”

KPBS and the San Diego Public Library co-sponsored Mortenson’s visit to PLNU. The event was originally scheduled to take place at USD, but a last-minute scheduling conflict forced event organizers to change the venue a week and a half before the event.

Breen contacted Mark Marney, PLNU director of Community Development, after KPBS realized that Brown Chapel would be big enough for the event.

“We kind of panicked [about the scheduling conflict at USD, but we had worked with Point Loma before and it had gone well,” Breen said.

Marney discussed the idea with President Bob Brower and Joe Watkins, vice president of External Relations, and the three decided that the event would be a “good event to have tied to the university and provide an opportunity for people in the community to come to campus” and pulled together funds from the University Development budget to host the event at no charge.

Brown Chapel’s 1,800 seats were filled 10 minutes before the event began, and the Welcome Center staff started turning away cars from the campus entrance.
Breen said that people who were turned away responded to the situation well and that many were able to see Mortenson speak at other “One Book, One San Diego” sessions last week.

The event had a higher turnout than anticipated, but Marney said he was not surprised that someone with a dynamic story relevant to current political issues drew such a large crowd.

Education is difficult to obtain in Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly for women. Mortenson’s goal is to make education more available and common for the next generation, particularly for women, because “to educate a woman is to educate a community.”

His driving belief is that education is an important way to prevent war and promote peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Fighting terrorism is an effort based on fear,” Mortenson said. “Promoting peace is based entirely on hope.”

One of his organizations, The Central Asian Institute, has educated 25,000 children. Mortenson has built 54 schools in northern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan.