Friendshop’s after-school drama club allows elementary school students to explore their acting abilities while college students decide whether they can act out the part of teacher.
Meghan Smiley and Michelle Pace played that lead part at the first drama club meeting Wednesday at Pinecrest Elementary School, 1811 Pinecrest Drive.
Along with five other MSU student volunteers, they got to know the class of almost 20 third- through sixth-graders by having them make name tags.
They also tried to choose a play to present for the semester - not the easiest endeavor.
Suggestions from around the room varied from “Peter Pan” and “Hansel and Gretel” to 8-year-old Andrew Penrose’s suggestion, “3,000 Miles to Graceland.”
“I can be Elvis,” he said.
“I want to be a pirate,” a boy in favor of “Peter Pan” yelled across the room.
“Boys are stupid,” a girl retorted.
To stop the chaos, the discussion was brought to a vote. A tie between “Peter Pan” and “Treasure Island” left the decision to the teachers, which will be announced at today’s meeting.
“You get a good idea of what being a teacher would be like,” said Pace, an elementary education sophomore who is a second-year volunteer for the Friendshop program.
Smiley, a child development sophomore, said Friendshop is great for her degree, which focuses on kindergarten through third grade.
“If you do this and hate it, then you know not to go into the profession,” she said.
Friendshop is a volunteer-based after-school enrichment program run by MSU students working toward an elementary or secondary education degree.
“Any student who wants to go into education can volunteer, but the secondary-level students are less likely to participate,” said Jennifer Watson, the education program’s academic adviser.
After receiving an e-mail about the program, Julie Stachowiak said she thought it was a great way to become involved with children. The elementary education freshman volunteers for the drama club.
Each semester, interested MSU students and children make a commitment to one of Friendshop’s clubs, which meet one day Monday through Thursday at Pinecrest or Walnut Elementary, 1012 N. Walnut St. in Lansing.
“Most kids really love the program,” Watson said. “It’s a fun opportunity to do things that are not in their normal day.”
Many of the children in the drama club at Pinecrest agreed with Watson.
“I’m having so much fun already,” said 8-year-old Michelle Fedorowicz of her first Friendshop class.
But the drama club isn’t the only group students say they enjoy.
Exploration 4-5-6, a group of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders, also met Wednesday at Pinecrest. The students made Valentine cards for nursing home patients at their first meeting.
Throughout the semester, their activities will vary based on what they’d like to learn.
“Activities will include guest speakers, field trips and other things of their interests,” said education senior Melissa Schebil, Friendshop director and volunteer for Exploration 4-5-6.
Exploration 1-2-3 is similar to Exploration 4-5-6.
“The kids focus on different things like science and language arts,” said Watson, whose second-grade daughter has participated in Friendshop for three semesters.
Among the other clubs included in the Friendshop program is a science club that puts on a science fair at the end of the semester.
“I did Friendshop last year in science and I saw what the drama club did, so I joined it.” 9-year-old Scott Welburn said.
For more information, e-mail friends@msu.edu.
