Shoppers at the University Bookstore on Wednesday could have a children’s book signed by ‘King’ Shaw, see his ‘big orange hat’ and meet the undergraduate writers and artists behind ‘Buzz the Big Orange Hat.’

The book, co-written by Michael Bevivino, Lindsay Pendergast, Maria Malagisi and Nadine Aut, follows the fictional adventures of Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw’s famous orange hat, called a tam, worn during official ceremonies.

Malagisi, a junior psychology major, said the idea for the story came together during a dinner hosted by the Shaws. The group had been assigned to write a children’s book over the summer last year for the Syracuse University Literacy Corps but they lacked a plot for the story.

‘We couldn’t come up with an idea for awhile,’ Malagisi said.

During the dinner Bevivino, a senior architecture major, asked Shaw about his ‘oompa loompa’ hat, Malagisi said. Shaw then retold a story in which he lost the hat during a trip to Utica college. After three years, it was returned to him in an unmarked envelope with ‘oil stains and frays, all kinds of things,’ Shaw said. The original is currently framed, he said. After the group heard the story, the book began to take shape.

Malagisi said the plot was the adventures of the wandering tam ‘through the eyes of the hat.’ The group incorporated local sites such as the Carrier Dome, Crouse College and locations in the city.

Pendergast, a junior communications sciences and disorders major, said she and Malagisi worked on the storyline. Aut did the illustrations, while Bevivino worked out the digital graphics, she said.

Aut, a junior speech communications major, said they worked on the book all summer as a project for the Literacy Corps.

‘Its such a great thing,’ said Aut, a member of the Literary Corps. ‘We go and read to them, but not only that, we become their friend. You can really see how you light up these kids eyes.’

Pendergast described Literary Corps as a combination of work study, tutor and teacher’s aide, pointing out that the role largely depends on the teacher.

Stacy Riemer, the associate director of the Center for Public and Community Service, said 1,000 books would be printed by the Syracuse Printing Services. They are available at the University Bookstore for $9.99. The book will be distributed by the Literary Corps, and may eventually be sold online through the SU bookstore Web site.

The book signing occurred as part of an annual bookstore event, said director of the University Bookstore, Betsy English .

‘Every December, we have a whole series of events,’ she said.

English said there will be more events leading to the holidays.

She said Monday and Tuesday would be student appreciation days, and Wednesday would be a special coupon sale.

‘We invited authors that would be of interest to the campus community,’ English said of the event, intended as an ‘annual fall/staff holiday shopping night.’

Published on December 4, 2002 at 12:00 pm