CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Most teenagers spend their summer as far away from school as possible. Matt Smith, however, is not most teenagers.
The 18-year-old Lee University senior is putting the finishing touches on his gift to the freshmen class: a 100-page manual answering every last question about college life at Lee.
Smith, a telecommunications major, said he developed a reputation as “the answer guy” soon after he arrived at Lee. When he grew tired of answering the same queries, he decided to devote a year to writing the ultimate campus guide.
While it covers much of the same ground as the school’s official handbook, Smith’s edition is more about commentary than rules, he said.
“The university handbook tells you what meal plans there are, but it doesn’t tell you which one you should get,” he said.
Dr. Jerome Hammond, vice president of University Relations, said he’s seen two chapters from the manuscript.
“Sometimes the official handbook goes unread,” Hammond said. “Humor is a great way to communicate; anything that helps incoming students in a responsible way is very helpful.”
Smith said he hopes his book will feel like “an underground guide, an insider’s thing.”
Senior telecommunications major Andrea Kuchta said she came across parts of the book as it was being edited. Kuchta said she was concerned that the guide is written from a male perspective.
“People need to keep in mind that what he puts in this book is his opinion and it’s not all fact,” she said. “But he does give some good advice, like how to pick the right classes.”
The project hasn’t been easy. Smith met with trademark lawyers to ensure nothing went awry, sent drafts to some of the school’s vice presidents and enlisted his friends to design the cover, take photos and offer suggestions. He even recruited the copy editor from the university newspaper to review the manuscript, all on a volunteer basis.
Smith also gave advance copies to freshmen seminar professors in hopes that they’ll adopt the book as a recommended text, which will give it a more strategic selling spot in the university bookstore, he said.
It will cost nearly $3,000 to print 1,000 copies of the book at local publishing house Pathway Press, Smith said, but he plans to pay it off by pitching the book to parents on move-in day for $5 each.
“I’m not concerned about selling enough copies to make back what I paid for it,” he said. “People always assumed it was about money. If I wanted to make money I wouldn’t spend it by working 200 hours on a book. It’s about helping freshmen.”