March 18, 2008
AU celebrates Dr. Seuss Day with D.C. school children
Ann Kerwin ’71, center, with Ben Schorr, left, and Seth Pfeifer (Photo by Jeff Watts)
Donning those unmistakable red and white hats, 45 students, faculty, and staff shared their favorite Dr. Seuss stories with Washington, D.C., school children last Monday, on what would have been the beloved author’s 104th birthday.
The group—which included President Neil Kerwin’s wife, Ann—read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish; Oh, The Places You’ll Go; and other Seuss classics to 500 students, from preschool to second grade, at Bancroft and Brightwood Elementary Schools in northwest Washington.
“I enjoyed how the kids’ opinion of green eggs and ham mirrored that of the Seuss character,” said volunteer Mike Minnick, a sophomore majoring in political
science. “They all hated green eggs and ham before I read the book, but changed their minds by the end.”
Like all the AU volunteers, Minnick said he was a Seuss fan as a kid. But, in the interest of disclosure, he admitted, “Curious George was my personal favorite.”
The day’s festivities, which included Dr. Seuss Bingo, allowed volunteers to promote literacy while celebrating a century of literary achievements by one of America’s most cherished writers, Theodor Seuss Geisel. The use of rhyming patterns in Dr. Seuss’s books have proven to be an effective tool for teaching youngsters the basic skills they need to be lifelong readers.
“The kids were so appreciative and reading to them reminded me how a couple hours of my day can make the day for a five-year-old,” said volunteer Katie Kraft, a sophomore majoring in economics.
During the event, sponsored by the AU Community Service Center and Read Across America, volunteers also donated Dr. Seuss books to both schools. This was the fifth year AU participated in the national Dr. Seuss Day celebration.
