March 3, 2006
Purdue, community leaders to take part in literacy program
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A diverse group of Purdue University and community leaders, including professors, politicians, athletes and police officers, will read to more than 500 Tippecanoe County-area elementary students next week during a literacy awareness program.
The sixth annual Reading Extravaganza, sponsored by Purdue's Barbara Cook Chapter of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday (March 6) in Purdue Memorial Union, Room 118. The readers will share their love of books and the rewards of reading with first- and second-graders to kick off a week of promoting literacy.
The event also will include physics presentations, a theater program and a visit from Purdue Pete.
The readers and their reading times are:
• 9:30 a.m. – Renee Thomas, director of the Black Cultural Center; Daniel Carpenter, professor of military science and leadership; Morgan Burke, director of intercollegiate athletics; Stephen Beaudoin, professor of chemical engineering; John Cox, Purdue police officer; Angie Meeks, Purdue cheerleader; and student athletes DaVida Anderson, Melanie Ukovich and Meghan McCormick.
• 10:30 a.m. – Brian Breed, director of Purdue Musical Organizations; Al York, professor of entomology; Cathy Wright-Eger, women's head swim coach; Darlene Renie, women's assistant swim coach; Peter Hollenbeck, professor of biology; Alysa Rollock, vice president of human relations; Tim Potts, Purdue police officer; Courtney Oppman and Tracey Todd, Indy 500 princesses; and student athletes Erin Gettings and Jennifer Lavers.
• 11:30 a.m. – Patty Jischke, Purdue's first lady; Brad McKinney, Purdue Student Government vice president; Jan Mills, mayor of West Lafayette; Jessica Hoffman, Purdue Student Government president; Jenn Zawisza and Tracey Todd, Indy 500 princesses; and student athlete Lizzie Jacques.
• 1 p.m. – Tom Turpin, professor of entomology; Kristin Malavenda, news host/producer for WBAA radio; Steve Abel, head and professor of pharmacy practice; Sue Scott, executive producer of WLFI TV-18; Zenephia Evans, Mortar Board honorary; Tanya Hadley, Indy 500 princess; and student athletes Tricia Lilley and Curtis Painter.
• 2 p.m. – James Foster, University Residences administrator for diversity education; Christy Stallings, Purdue's Golden Girl; Tierney Brown, Purdue's Girl in Black; Steve Abel, head and professor of pharmacy practice; George Van Scoyoc, professor of agronomy; Alex Fenske, Homecoming King; and student athletes Paul Rose, Katie Geralds and Brittany Dildine.
Mortar Board members and alumni also will be supporting the national literacy awareness campaign by collecting new books to donate to after-school and children's programs at Purdue and in Greater Lafayette.
With more than 200 college chapters, the national Mortar Board organization promotes the literacy project to give the senior honor society's members the chance to use leadership skills while performing community service by promoting knowledge.
Mortar Board members are selected for their achievements in scholarship, service to the university community and leadership. The society was founded at Syracuse University in 1918 as the first national organization honoring senior college women. In the fall of 1926, the Purdue Chapter of Mortar Board was chartered. The society admitted men after 1975.
Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu
Sources: Wendy Kerr, Mortar Board Reading Extravaganza event director, wkerr@purdue.edu
Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students and Mortar Board adviser, (765) 494-1232, pablo@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
Purdue Student Activities and Organizations
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