On an average evening, one can find college students quietly studying at the University of Wisconsin-Superior Jim Dan Hill Library, but Thursday, March 7th was not an average evening. From 4 to 6 p.m. elementary aged children, accompanied by their parents, immersed themselves into the world of Dr. Seuss at the sixth annual Seussville Family Fun Night on the second floor of the library.
According to Madison Hale, one of the coordinators of Seussville, in addition to arts and craft activities, the event featured book giveaways, readings from Dr. Seuss books, and a photo booth with Dr. Seuss characters. “This is our third year coming here,” said Ryan Zurn, a parent of three. “The girls love it! Dr. Seuss, the Cat in the Hat, and the girls like the art projects and the books.”
In the spirit of celebrating national literacy month and Dr. Seuss’ birthday, the Future Teachers Association (FTA) in collaboration with the Educational Leadership department and the Veteran and Nontraditional Student Center (VNSC) organized this event. “Most of the FTA members are going into education and elementary education, so I think it’s a good practical experience for working with kids in educational typesetting,” said Monte Stewart, the VNSC services coordinator. This event not only enriches the kids, but it also enriches the student volunteers field of experience.
Stewart said Seussville originally took place in the VNSC but has grown to the point where “we kind of take over the library when we host it.” Families from the community attended, however, Stewart recommended this event to a college student who is a more nontraditional student with kids. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity to engage your family,” said Stewart. “The kind of the population we gear this event toward is the student parent.”
Philip Petersen, a father of two, said, “It will be fun to watch the kids grow up with Dr. Seuss and be able to come here and live out some of the Dr. Seuss imagery for real.” The VNSC and FTA hope to continue Seussville to enable parents who grew up reading Dr. Seuss to share the tradition with their children.