Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 4/24/97
      Contact:                           Carol Dotson   93 

MISS LOUISIANA TALKS WITH LOCAL STUDENTS ABOUT READING AT SLU
     HAMMOND -- Miss Louisiana, Erika Schwarz, visited the Southeastern Louisiana
University campus April 17 for the second Annual Miss America Organization's National Day of
Service. 
     Miss America 1997 Tara Holland and all of the other contestants made similar visits
across the country moderating discussion with third graders in Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
programs.  Southeastern was the only Louisiana site that Miss Louisiana visited.  The visit was
hosted by the Junior Auxiliary of Hammond.   
     Schwarz, a native of Folsom, read a story to a group of third graders who represented
several of the area schools.  The children had a chance to try on the queen's crown and to talk
with Miss Louisiana about reading.  Schwarz asked the students why they liked reading, their
favorite place to read, what motivated them to read and who helped them to read.  Schwarz
thanked the students for their help with the discussion and challenged all of them to read a book
within the next week.
     The Junior Auxiliary of Hammond, which is the local RIF representative, services over
1000 children in Tangipahoa Parish. RIF is the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit children's
literacy organization whose goal is to get kids engaged in reading.  Among the Auxiliary's
activities is the distribution of books through the local schools three times a year. "We're about to
extend to Ponchatoula so that's another 1000 kids," said Cindy Poche, one of the Auxiliary's  RIF
coordinators. Other Auxiliary RIF Coordinators are Ann Tilyou, Nancy Perrilloux and Denise
Kennedy.
     Sally Cain, the secretary of education's regional representative, spoke to the educators
gathered and asked for their input on how to help all children become good readers.  

                             -more-


Miss Louisiana/ADD ONE


      "We're starting too late teaching them to read,"  said Glenda O'Banion, principal of
Hammond Eastside Elementary. "Children should be introduced to books very early.  Right now
we wait until they enter school, we're behind."  
      "We need the entire society committed to making reading fundamental.  Exciting reading
events need to be held everywhere - even in malls, to bring the importance of reading out to the
forefront." said Peggy Sharkey, principal of Holy Ghost.
     Schwarz, who autographed books for the students, was very positive about the event. 
"It's fantastic. This is a perfect example of what the Miss America Organization supports.
Whenever the community comes together like this to make something happen, it will.  And that's
a good example to the kids as well." 
     Also on the program was Pam Wall, Director of the Louisiana State Literacy Resource
Center.
     
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