Next Saturday, Feb. 25, book-enthusiasts around Tulsa will wake up early and pack into the middle school at Holland Hall for its highly anticipated book fair.

The annual event attracts crowds of Tulsans every year and features more than 100,000 books usually priced between $1and $2.

In past years, students have found it necessary to arrive at the crack of dawn to assure the best bargains. The fair starts at 8 a.m., but by 7:40 a.m., 100 to 200 people often are already lined up.

Did you know that more than 8 out of 10 minority students read below grade level by the time they enter middle school?

How does this happen? How does this impact students’ lives? More importantly, what does this mean for McClure Elementary, where 100% of the student body is on the free or reduced-fee lunch program and many fall into the most vulnerable social and economic categories?

These are tough questions, but through the Mentoring Program of Congregation B’nai Emunah volunteers have risen to the call by participating in a new literacy program under the direction of Jay Pendrak, the director of community development at McClure.

ORU SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) has a reputation for hosting community-and campus-wide volunteer events that garner much support, but none as much as Let’s Can Hunger.

Last year, the SIFE team, led by alumna Hannah Sweeney took first place in a nationwide competition to raise funds, canned food and awareness of global hunger.

Italian food is hearty and delicious, but can often be time consuming to make.

Not everyone has the time to stand over a hot stove and wait eight hours for tomato sauce to be made from scratch.

For those of us who have jobs or other priorities, it’s always a challenge to find good-for-you meals that won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking for a good, cheap and relatively healthy meal that’s easy to prepare for a large group of people, look no further.