Reading Olympiad participants show off thair mmdals at an awards cmrmmony at thm Adam's Mark
Wast hotml.
Urban League presents medals of- reading
By COURTNEY DANIEL
The Chronicle Staff Writer
The Winston-Salem Urban
League, through their Reading
Olympiad program, has been active
in trying to inspire middle school
students, especially African
Americans, to read. Reading
Olympiad director Alberta
McMillian believes that increasing
students' proficiency and interest in
reading is critical to their academic
success.
"Reading is most important
because it is the basis of all subjects
taught in school," she said
The 1997 edition of the
Olympiad recently wrapped up
with an elegant awards banquet at
the Adam's Mark West hotel,
marking eight years that the pro
gram has set about the task of pro
moting reading. The Reading
Olympiad is at heart a contest. All
the participants keep a running
tally of the books they read and are
rewarded with a certificate and a
bronze, silver or gold medal
depending on the final number of
books. The top 15 readers receive
cash prizes of as much as $100.
For many of the students the
money was an instant incentive to
read as much as possible.
"The program was all right
before tonight (the presentation of
money)," said Princess Garner a
gold medalist and winner of $100
dollars. "But now it's good, great,
wonderful, excellent."
The obvious perks of monetary
gain not withstanding nearly all the.
participants said that they would
continue to read for personal plea
sure.
"I think it was a lot of fun to
read the books," said Machion
Carter, also a winner of $100 and a
gold medalist in the Olympiad. "I
think I'll keep reading even after the
program is over."
Neshae Wilson, winner of one
of five $25 prizes, agreed about the
benefits of the program with or
without the cash reward.
"It (the Reading Olympiad) is a
very educational program for
African-American kids to get into,"
she said. "It teaches us to take time
out to read and to leave TV alone.
And the reading really helped me."
Students earn more points for
books by black authors, and
McMillian believes that this bonus
is a way to increase exposure to
Black history and culture. She
believes that the tales of African
Americans give black students a
sense of * self-knowledge and self
worth that will benefit them
immeasurably.
"Our main focus has always
been the reading," McMillian said.
"But we also understand that it is
equally important for African
American students to learn about
their history and culture. Those stu
dents who understand their her
itage will undoubtedly have an
expanded self-image."
The children are helped in their
pursuit of literary mastery by adult
mentors, called chat persons. Chat
persons discuss books with the
Olympiad participants, schedule
library tours and special events, and
usually become very attached to the
student they "chat" with.
McMillian believes that this is an
added bonus of the program.
"We also realized that adult
mentors could be positive influ
ences on the children in the
Reading Olympiad," she said. "It is
important for young people to be
able to relate positively with
adults."
"And for those adults who get
involved, it becomes impossible to
'chat' with a child and not become
a part of that child's life. Even after
the program, you want to know
how their doing in high school? Are
they taking the right courses? How
did they do on the PSAT, the SAT?
And for that young person, they
have gained an ally ... a guide."
The Olympiad not only involves
adult interaction outside the home,
but attempts to involve parents as
well.
"We want parents to take part in
the Reading Olympiad as well,"
McMillian said. "The program
encourages parental involvement
by rewarding family activities with
contest points."
McMillian believes that the pro
gram is a true manifestation of the
African proverb, "It takes a village
to raise a child."
"The program is like surround
ing this child with people who want
to see them succeed, in the home, in
school and in the community," said
McMillian. This program is very
much like the "village". We put the
child in center and nurture and pro
tect them."
The assertion that the program
involves the entire "village" is not
an idle one. Corporate sponsors like
Pepsi Service Center and Wachovia
Bank of North Carolina meet city
county services like the Winston
Salem Forsyth County School
System and Library to advocate the
Reading Olympiad and support its
participants. Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity Inc., a national organi
zation, gives it support along with
countless volunteers from through
out the community.
The effects of the program on
students even after they leave the
program are seen citywide by cur
riculum coordinators in area mid
dle schools.
"The program is wonderful,"
said Judy Dixon coordinator at
Wiley Middle School. "Because the
program is open to everyone in
middle school regardless of reading
ability, it really inspires kids, who
haven't been interested in reading in
the past, to develop a love for it."
Dr. Marie Williamson, curricu
lum coordinator at L.E.A.P., says
that those benefits are not only
reaped by those involved with the
contest, but by other students who
see their classmates reading.
"We put out a shelf with books
for the kids to read whenever they
want," she said. "I have noticed that
even students who are not in the
program will read the books."
The coordinator at Northwest
Middle School. Brenda Furches,
believes that the program turns her
students into discriminating read
ers.
"I think the neatest part about
the program is that the kids start
reading authors," she said. "When
the students like a book by Virginia
Hamilton, then they read all her
books."
The hopes of the Reading
Olympiad, McMillian, and the
countless volunteers are all
summed up by silver medalist and
$50 dollar winner, Willa McGill
"The reading was a lot of fun,"
she said. "I didn't think I was going
to win, but it was fun just reading,
and I'm going to keep doing it."
ECONOMIC
from page AI
board of aldermen.
With an incorporated entity in
East Winston's corner, projects that
lack capital could be funded, and
partnerships could be created
between the city and private entre
preneurs.
"It allows you leverage with the
city," said Bradshaw.
Many in the community are feel
ing a lack of leverage as of late, at
least where economic development
and East Winston are concerned.
Until Tuesday night, city offi
cials had not committed in writing
{Mans to distribute any of the $6
million economic development
bond to East Winston. The former
description for what and where the
proposed funds would be used read,
'Ho assist in the acquisition and
development of new business sites
in designated industrial opportuni
ty areas and in the downtown
4rea."
; The description was expanded
?
for the packets handed out by city
staff at the community bond infor
mation meeting held at the Rupert
Bell Recreation Center. The bond
now includes the Enterprise
Community as a targeted develop
ment area.
The Enterprise Community cov
ers approximately 15 square miles
in the central and northeast section
of Winston-Salem and Forsyth
County. This area was identified as
a potential recipient for federal
grant money, which the city applied
for in 1994.
Though Winston-Salem was not
selected as an Enterprise
Community, the city has looked at
ways of implementing the plan.
The task force wants to make
sure those plans don't end with
community development.
African Americans needed to
learn the difference between eco
nomic and community develop
ment, said Bradshaw.
Community development, in the
form of housing and recreation
bonds, is immediately essential for
the low-income minority communi
ty, Bradshaw said. However, he
added, economic development
ensures the future of the communi
ty
Due to its vague description,
some members of the task force
have opposed the $6 million eco
nomic development bond.
"If I knew there was evfcn two
dollars going to East Winston, then
yeah, I could go to the polls and feel
good about it," said Gregory
Burrell.
Chair person Norma Smith
agreed, but added that her opposi
tion to the economic development
bond did not necessarily reflect her
attitude toward the other items.
Each of the five bond items ?
economic development, streets and
sidewalks, housing and redevelop
ment, recreation and the conven
tion center ? will be listed
individually for the June 24 vote.
T
NOTE TO GREENSBORO
AND HIGH POINT READERS:
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