Athletes read to kids
Athletes from the hockey, football and track and field teams read to children at Canyon Elementary as part of the Read with Your Favorite Aggie program on Friday, Nov. 3.
Children from all grades had a chance to meet USU student athletes as they participated in various events from a game of red light/green light, to science experiments on acids and bases and an ABC’s game.
Big Blue also made an appearance around 9 a.m. and ran through the halls with students in a hallway sweep.
Kent Arsenault, a freshman on the USU hockey team who participated in the event, said, “It’s a good time. It’s game day for us hockey boys, but this is good just to take our minds off the game and come here and have some fun with kids – to read and watch movies.”
This marks the second time the Read with Your Favorite Aggie event has been put on. The event was organized by friends MJ Tran, a junior majoring in biology, and Dana Tran, a senior majoring in finance and economics. MJ Tran said she and Dana came up with this idea last year as part of a group project for their MHR class. She said it was so successful that she wanted to keep the program going, even though she and Dana are the only members of the group still interested.
“We actually want it to become an annual thing so elementary schools are excited for us to come,” MJ Tran said. “Every year we want to hold something like this.”
Last year the event was held at Adams Elementary School. Kevan Kennington, principal of Canyon Elementary, heard of the event and requested the program to come to his school as well, MJ Tran said.
Working with Amy Crosbie of USU Student Athlete Services, Dana Tran enlisted the aid of the football team. Other athletes were requested, but could not make it because of scheduling conflicts. As for getting the hockey team involved, Dana Tran said she had some personal connections with the hockey team and asked them to come.
“I knew one of the players, Hashi, and I contacted him,” Dana Tran said. “Through him I was able to get a lot of the hockey players to come. They’re really dependable. They’re way excited to be here with the kids. They’re having a great time.”
Not only did USU athletes participate in the event, sorority Chi Omega and the campus Leadership House also contributed. Leadership House is part of theme housing that works to educate students and build communities, said Dana Tran, a member of the house.
As for the future, both MJ and Dana Tran agree it is an event they would like to see happen on a regular basis for underprivileged children in the community.
“I guess I should say we’re trying to do this as a semi-annual thing,” Dana Tran said. “I would like to see it continue. Hopefully a lot of students are willing to plan as much as we do.”
-sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu