From left, Tania Etter, 7, Flint, Lia Baldori, 9, Okemos, Anna Boile, 9, South Lyon and Barbara Boile, grandmother of Lia Baldori and Anna Boile, Livonia, laugh after running into each other while dancing at an Israeli folk dancing class on Wednesday as part of MSU’s Grandparents University.
Sparty riled up a unique crowd in the Auditorium on Wednesday as alumni from decades past and children still in grade school were brought together on campus for Grandparents University.
The program, which is in its third year, is put on by 15 colleges within the university and is supported wholly by registration fees paid by the attending families.
This year, nearly 800 families, which consist of one or two grandparents and up to two 8-to-12-year-old children, are living in the dorms, going to class and attending evening activities until tomorrow.
“It’s a unique experience where grandparents and grandkids get to learn and live together,” said Katie Cable, alumni relations coordinator for the Honors College.
“Lots of them are MSU alumni excited about the chance to show kids their classrooms where they lived or were involved on campus,” she said.
The class topics offered at the program include Lego robotics and African storytelling, as well as working backstage at a theater production.
Matthew Lobbes and Hannah Dygert, whose grandparents are siblings and attended the program together, said they were looking forward to bowling, swimming and eating from the ice-cream machine in the cafeteria.
“It’s important for the kids to learn that the school is about more than just football. It’s a learning place, which is a different idea than what most kids hold,” said Mary Dygert, Hannah’s grandmother. “And of course it’s a perfect place for spending time and bonding with the kids.”
This year was Dygert’s third time at Grandparents University.
Matthew Lobbes’ grandfather, John Larzelere, said it also was a chance to learn a lot of new things together — “without their parents around.”
The Grandparents University program has been growing in popularity since the first year, as the registration for this year’s event went up just before Christmas and spaces were already half full within two hours, Cable said.
It is more than just the families, Cable said — the campus is eager to get involved in the program, too.
“The whole program incorporates any aspect of MSU that wants to be involved — teachers, buildings, activities are all volunteered,” Cable said.
Current MSU students also find ways to get involved in the program. Elise Chom, biochemistry and theater senior, lead group tours Wednesday night and tonight across campus.
“Even if they did go to MSU, it’s different than it was 40 or 50 years ago,” Chom said. “They ask all sorts of questions about what my favorite part of college is, or whether we have a dress code. They just really want to know about the college experience now.”
Brandon Schuster, 10, was willing to come across the world for the experience. Although he had planned to travel back to Michigan with his family from their home in Western Samoa for the summer, the family moved up their arrival date to ensure that Brandon Schuster was able to attend the program with his grandmother.
His grandmother, Mary Lee Gwizdala, said she was thrilled that we was able to make it to MSU.
“I had the materials last year but he couldn’t make it. I’m just so glad he could be here and we could go through this together,” she said.
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