For the remainder of the week students and faculty can help fund a library for an underprivileged school by making a purchase at the Scholastic Book Fair located in Bayramian Hall 190.
The CSUN University Ambassadors are hosting their annual Scholastic Book Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Friday. All proceeds from the fair will go towards making a classroom library for a disadvantaged school in the San Fernando Valley.
For 22 years, CSUN ambassadors, known for giving campus tours and assisting guests on their visit to the university, have partnered with Scholastic Inc. to sell their products in order to fund the ambassadors’ philanthropy organization, “Cuddle and Read”.
“Cuddle and Read,” which occurs around April, is an organization where ambassadors invite underprivileged elementary, middle, or high school students to visit CSUN and explore the campus.
Occasionally, CSUN faculty and staff members from different departments participate in showing kids different activities to get a feel of college life, such as learning how to budget their money taught by the financial aid office. The student ambassadors then take the time to read to different groups of students, and at the end of the day, each child goes home with a free book in their hands.
“Students don’t believe that they have the privilege to go to college, or that they’re capable of it,” said Andrea Lymbertos, 20, public health major and university ambassador. “We want to motivate them and show that we do care about them especially as college students.”
Promoting higher education while having fun is the main objective when bringing the kids to the CSUN campus.
“Last year, we had fifth graders come to our campus and had science professors show them how cool it is to be in college,” said Joanna Brazzle, 21, kinesiology major. “They got to do to cool experiments, see all the things around campus and try to promote higher education. “
This year, the ambassadors are hoping to get more departments involved with the “Cuddle and Read” program including the art and kinesiology programs.
“The message we’re trying to give out is to have older people read to younger kids and get them more involved educationally,” said Lymbertos.
In just two days of the book fair being open, it has already raised $600. Incentive for students to help support the project includes a raffle.
Students who make a purchase over $15 are entered in a raffle and the winner will be announced Friday Oct. 11 at 4:15 p.m. Prizes include a CSUN collection goodie bag, a collection of books, or a trip for two to the Huntington Library.
“I saw the sign outside (the Bayramian Hall) and wanted to come check it out,” said Tamarsha McKonuff, 19, psychology major. “I love to read and wanted to come support CSUN.”
To learn how you can be a university ambassador, please visit the website.
