North Carolina State University Athletics
'Booking With The Pack' Enjoys Successful Program
1/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Editor's note: As part of the NC State Academic Support for Student Athlete's 'Booking With the Pack' program, the first 200 fans who bring three or more gently used books to the Dec. 30 men's basketball game against N.C. Central will receive a free ticket. Collections will take place at the South entrance of the RBC Center, near the box office.
BY JENNIFER MacNAB
RALEIGH, N.C. – The fourth-annual Booking With the Pack Middle School Celebration, which took place at an NC State women's basketball game on Dec. 6, 2009, included nine local middle schools.
Students from those schools were challenged to read 10 books in 10 weeks and write summaries on each book. The schools that participated were Centennial Middle School, Dillard Drive Middle School, East Millbrook Middle School, The Franciscan School, Holly Ridge Middle School, Our Lady of Lourdes, Ligon Middle School, Wakefield Middle School and West Millbrook Middle School.
The contest, which is organized and conducted by the NC State Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes, is driven by Wolfpack student-athletes to promote and improve literacy among young students through the collection and redistribution of books.
About 20 student-athletes signed autographs for the students who had successfully completed the program. Following the autograph signing, the hardworking students and their families were able to watch the Lady Wolfpack in an exciting win over Texas Christian. After the game, many students stayed to get autographs and have pictures taken with some of the members of the women's team.
"First of I would like to say it was a honor and a complete pleasure to represent North Carolina State and its athletic programs during this event," said Wolfpack football player Julian Williams. "As I reflect back on the 'Booking with Pack' event, I feel as if the student-athletes made a difference and helped the students who were involved in the event to know that their achievements were really appreciated.
"I was really honored to be a part of this because it gave me the opportunity to congratulate these students for all their hard work with their academics. The autograph signings made me as well as some others feel as if the students and their parents really appreciated our time contributed towards this event, but in my opinion the students where the one who contributed and made the most sacrifices. Personally, I feel as if student-athletes should do more for the community when it comes to academics because it will motivate the younger generation to strive forward academically and reach higher towards goals set forth by themselves, their parents, and their teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed this event because of the message behind it of improving literacy and how much it meant to those that participated. I would definitely like to see more events like this to encourage the younger population to do well in school as well as boost their morale."
Of the nine schools that participated, a total of 672 students successfully completed the program which equates to 6,720 books read this year alone. NC State and the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes congratulates these students on their hard work and looks forward to the 2010 Booking With The Pack reading program.
For more information about participating in the program, donating books or having questions answered, you may contact program coordinator Jennifer MacNab at jlmacnab@ncsu.edu .
