A little girl in purple clung onto the boards for dear life, looking as petrified as if she were staring at a ghost. Nearby, a boy draped in blue struggled to keep balance as he kept flopping over his knees onto the chilly surface.
But they couldn’t be having more fun.
The children were two of many who donned ice skates along with an elephant, a cat and an army of green-clad MSU education students for MSU’s Skate for Literacy event Friday night.
The event, organized by the Student Michigan Education Association of MSU, collected about $500 for the Capital Area Literacy Coalition.
The coalition will use the money to buy books and school supplies for tutored children, association president Amanda Warman said.
For only a few dollars, skaters enjoyed interacting with characters, such as Babar the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and Sparty. Participants also could receive discounts on admission if they donated books or school supplies at the event.
Sahar Mahmood, 8, said she enjoyed being able to skate with the characters.
“It’s fun, you get to play. You get to do whatever you want,” she said.
Even older skaters, such as Erica Heinzman, found fun in the event. Heinzman, 22, said although she can’t skate, the event was still nice to attend during a visit to the Lansing area.
“It’s awesome, because I get to be with my girls,” the Ohio resident said.
Student Michigan Education Association of MSU members, such as publicity chair Jessica Parolari, were on hand to watch and run the event. The association is a group of students interested in pursuing education careers.
“The best thing about Skate for Literacy is that we’re bringing in money to help area children to read,” said Parolari, an elementary education senior. “As teachers, that’s one of our goals.”
The association has about 30 members who are also members of the Michigan Education Association if they pay the $33 dues. The club meets bimonthly at Erickson Hall Kiva and focuses on holding social events and inviting professional development speakers.
Parolari and Warman agreed that being in the association gives them an opportunity to network with professionals at meetings and conferences.
“You learn a lot about education issues and what’s going on in the field,” said Warman, also an elementary education senior. “It’s a good support system for when you become a teacher.”
Group adviser Sharman Siebenthal said one of the club’s best benefits is the speakers, who offer valuable insight about career topics and their plans for retirement. Most speakers are former teachers who work for the Michigan Education Association.
Siebenthal also said interactions among members is important.
“It really increases a sense of collegiality,” she said.
For their next activity, association members will be wearing their pajamas and reading stories to children for “Bedtime Story Hour,” an event set for Tuesday at the East Lansing and the Lansing public libraries.
Students who are interested in learning more about the club may e-mail smeamsu@msu.edu.
