UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 21, Page 8
February 27, 1992
Sorority cookies reward readers

     Pesidence halls across campus recently radiated with the rich
aroma of freshly baked cookies as 20 members of Gamma Sigma Sigma
service sorority spent a combined 40 hours baking more than 2,000
cookies for a Newark area elementary school.  Make that 2,366
cookies to be exact.
     The cookies were rewards for Wilson Elementary School students
who read books during February, national I Love To Read Month.
     Each child kept a "cookie sheet" or list of books he or she
read during the month.  Each was encouraged to read a dozen books.
     The project was the brainchild of Wilson's principal Chuck
Hughes, who said he got a letter from the sorority asking if they
could do a service project for the school.
     Natasha Arbeter, a junior majoring in education who is service
vice president for the sorority,  said she sent 150 query letters
to schools and organizations in the Newark and Wilmington areas
looking for service opportunities.
     When the group decided to participate in the Wilson project,
Arbeter and another sorority member Kathy Ward, a senior majoring
in psychology, went to the school on Feb. 7 and presented a skit to
get the students excited about the project.
     With the cookie deadline set for Friday, Feb. 21, the sorority
members began their baking on Feb. 18.
     "I just went home and baked mine," Ward said.  "I guess I
should let mom know where all the chocolate chips went.
     "And the final verdict on the cookies project?  Definitely
worth it, according to the students who got two cookies apiece.
     "Oh, good," said first grader Ryan McTigue, tasting his
chocolate chips. "I was worried they were raisins."
                                        - Beth Thomas