I’ve nothing to do, can often be heard,

But really, my friends, this phrase is absurd!

The Student Center, this Friday night,

Advertisement

will be the main center of a wondrous sight.

and a few other groups,

is making sure we can spend an evening with Seuss.

The River Rooms is the place it will take,

Beginning at six, and ending at eight.

Cartoons will be shown, and stories will be told

to entertain children, both young and old.

Advertisement*

So please do not let yourself be the one

to miss this chance at an evening of fun.

Dr. Seuss has kind of a special place in the hearts of non-traditional students, Fran Becque, assistant coordinator for Non-Traditional Student Services, said regarding An Evening with Dr. Seuss, a program Non-Traditional Student Services, Student Center Special Programs and SPC’s Tropical Eruption of Fun is putting on tonight.

His first book And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street,’ was rejected by 27 different publishers before it was printed, Becque said. And that lesson of not giving up is important for non-traditional students who may have to juggle a family and job while trying to be a student.

The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss on the Loose and The Lorax, three animated films, will be shown, and six Dr. Seuss books will be read live from different members of the campus and the community at tonight’s event. There will also be free bowling in the bowling and billiards room, $1.99 Happy Meals from McDonalds and discounts on Dr. Seuss books at the University Bookstore.

Charles van Rossum, Coordinator of Student Development Transitional Programs and Non-Traditional Student Services, said non-traditional services wanted to put on a program for the entire family.

Everyone can relate to Dr. Seuss, he said. People will call about the event, and they will ask me Is it for big kids, too?’ His stories transcend all ages, and even though children enjoy them, they also have a very important message to get across.

One example van Rossum cited is The Sneetches, which is about two different groups of characters that are segregated. One of the groups has stars on their bodies and the other does not. When a man comes to town with a machine that can add or remove stars, the two groups begin to go back and forth between stars and no stars. Eventually, everyone gets mixed up and they are unable to tell who was who in relation to the original groups.

We all feel that as adults, van Rossum said. That image of insiders/outsiders is very clear, and it makes us all seem a little foolish about how we separate different people into different groups. This is just a great event to let people share in that kind of storytelling.

If you enjoy Dr. Seuss, and if you enjoy good storytelling, then this is the type of evening that would be a lot of fun for everyone, van Rossum said.

Becque said that even though the books may be geared toward children, Dr. Seuss wanted them to be read by people of all ages.

Dr. Seuss referred to older people as obsolete children’, she said. Some of the more interesting things about his books are how many adults buy them for older people. For example, the book Oh, The Places You’ll Go,’ is still a very big seller as a gift for someone graduating because it is a very optimistic look at a person’s future.

Stephanie Chaney-Hartford, graduate assistant for Non-Traditional Student Services, said non-traditional services want this program to reach more people than just the students on campus.

We want to reach out to the children and families of the community, she said. There is going to be coloring activities, a chance to make different kinds of buttons as well as food and free bowling. If at all possible we would like this to become an annual event. This is just a fun evening for everyone and their families.

An Evening With Dr. Seuss begins at 6 p.m. in the River Rooms on the second floor of the Student Center. Admission is free.