MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / September 14, 1998

LUTCHER – A sense of community and history are important characteristics of the town of Lutcher, especially when it comes to its high school. Just look at any Friday night in the fall when the townvirtually shuts down to follow the Bulldogs on the gridiron.

Now students are inviting members of the community to reserve their part in the history of Lutcher High School by becoming part of the Walk of Fame being created in front of the school. Organizers received permission to goahead with the project from the St. James Parish School Board at itsmeeting Tuesday night.

Students, faculty, alumni and all members of the community may purchase bricks to be included in the walkway between the front circle and front of the facade of the old school on the high school campus. Personal bricksmay be purchased from the school for $30, while bricks with a business, corporate or political message may be purchased for $50. Each brick canaccommodate a message of up to three lines with 18 characters and/or spaces per line. The school reserves the right to reject messages it findsinappropriate.

Tracy Elliott Zeringue, a teacher and yearbook sponsor at Lutcher High, said she got the idea at a fund-raiser workshop at the National High School Association Conference held this spring in New Orleans. A similarproject had already been implemented in California.

The idea further blossomed when Zeringue attended a class at LSU this summer on preparing students for the School-to-Work program. Zeringueand fellow Lutcher teachers Jeanne Clemente and Shantele Brady and St.

James High School teacher Felix Landry, all of whom attended the class, worked out the time table for the project.

Orders for the bricks are being taken now until Dec. 15, allowingorganizers to see how many bricks will be needed. The bricks will then beordered along with the plaques. Students, with the assistance of parents,will then install the bricks. The plaques will be adhered to the bricks twodays before the dedication ceremony scheduled for March.

Zeringue said the main purpose of the project is to spruce up the front of the school. The project will also raise money for the yearbook staff,helping keep costs of the books down for students. It will also provide anopportunity for students to apply practical skills, from advertising and interviewing to running a promotional campaign and bookkeeping.

The Walk of Fame will be a student project from beginning to end.

Students are currently creating the order forms and certificate of ownership that will be given to each person who purchases a brick as well as keeping track of the orders coming in. The science classes are helpingwith the landscaping around the site. The Food and Nutrition classes willcater the dedication ceremony, fixing the food and serving it to the guests.

Students will also make a map recording where each brick is.

“It is all being done by students,” Zeringue said. “They are up for it, up forthe challenge. It is in their hands.”Zeringue said the project was road-tested to see if there was interest in it and to get feedback on it. The administration has also been verysupportive of the idea with principal Terry Mullen being behind it from the start.

Zeringue said similar projects have been done at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans and on the campus of the University of Southwestern Louisiana but that as far as she knows Lutcher is one of the first high schools to do it. She said they are looking for the oldest livingLutcher High School alumnus who will be given a free brick. Anyone whoknows of someone who might qualify can contact the school.

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