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The Daily Telegram Adrian, Michigan Friday, June 20th, 1997

Stories of Prejudice Take The Stage

Rachel Fox of Adrian gets "pushed" down during practice at the Theater of Diversity Program held at Siena Heights College Thursday. Local students are learning how to deal with prejudice through acting.

by Heather Needham, Daily Telegram Staff Writer

ADRIAN - Several area youths are learning that the best way to deal with prejudice is to act.

The Diversity Theater Program is in its first year at Siena Heights College. The five children involved in the five-day workshop are learning the art of dealing with prejudice through drama.

In one exercise, Siena Heights child development student Dana Wade calls out, "Prejudice hits me like a bolt of red lightning". The kid's role is to act out that phrase. They gather in a circle, then simultaneously fall back onto the floor, simulating being struck by lightning.

In another prejudice scenario, four students act as if they're standing on a street talking. Then, someone walks by and says to them, "What's the matter, can't you all hang out with your own color?", and he continues to walk by. The kids react by punching the floor or the wall.

"Prejudice really makes me angry," said Jermaine Martinez, an Adrian High School ninth grader. As a Hispanic teenager, he says he's encountered phrases such as "illegal alien" and other name calling from his peers. "This class has helped me deal with my feelings," he said. But, "prejudice makes me want to explode."

The teachers have taught the students how to channel their anger into creative energy. Teachers Dan Runyan and Irene Vasquez are from a group called Magical Rain Theaterworks, from Kalamazoo. Vasquez says it's been a challenge getting the kids inner thesbians to come out. "They've actually been very shy", she said. "It's been hard, but we're slowly pulling them out of their shells."

Dionardo Pizana, residence life director at Sienna Heights, said the program was started because, for some children, racism is an everyday reality. "We just felt there was a need for children to deal with issues of racism and prejudice," he said.

Runyan said, "These kids are spending a whole week where the focus is getting to know each other. I think that's an experience that most people as adults have never had. It gives them time to go over issues in more detail and build trust with each other. It lessens their defenses."

Most students said the week turned out to be more fun than they thought. "I thought it would be boring, like school," said Tom Pincon, a sixth grade Madison Middle School student. Daniel Tisdale, an eighth grade Springbrook Middle School student who just moved to Adrian from Austin, Texas, said, "It's been fun to act out things that happen to us." As an African American student, she's learned to deal with prejudice by ignoring the perpetrator, she said.

Children will give a performance at 3:30 p.m today in Dominican Hall. The workshop is sponsored by Siena Heights College in conjunction with the Michigan State University Extension 4H office.

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The Daily Telegram Adrian, Michigan Friday, June 20th, 1997
Stories of Prejudice Take The Stage	Rachel Fox of Adrian gets "pushed" down during practice at the Theater of Diversity Program held at Siena Heights College Thursday. Local students are learning how to deal with prejudice through acting.
by Heather Needham, Daily Telegram Staff Writer ADRIAN - Several area youths are learning that the best way to deal with prejudice is to act. The Diversity Theater Program is in its first year at Siena Heights College. The five children involved in the five-day workshop are learning the art of dealing with prejudice through drama.
In one exercise, Siena Heights child development student Dana Wade calls out, "Prejudice hits me like a bolt of red lightning". The kid's role is to act out that phrase. They gather in a circle, then simultaneously fall back onto the floor, simulating being struck by lightning. In another prejudice scenario, four students act as if they're standing on a street talking. Then, someone walks by and says to them, "What's the matter, can't you all hang out with your own color?", and he continues to walk by. The kids react by punching the floor or the wall. "Prejudice really makes me angry," said Jermaine Martinez, an Adrian High School ninth grader. As a Hispanic teenager, he says he's encountered phrases such as "illegal alien" and other name calling from his peers. "This class has helped me deal with my feelings," he said. But, "prejudice makes me want to explode." The teachers have taught the students how to channel their anger into creative energy. Teachers Dan Runyan and Irene Vasquez are from a group called Magical Rain Theaterworks, from Kalamazoo. Vasquez says it's been a challenge getting the kids inner thesbians to come out. "They've actually been very shy", she said. "It's been hard, but we're slowly pulling them out of their shells." Dionardo Pizana, residence life director at Sienna Heights, said the program was started because, for some children, racism is an everyday reality. "We just felt there was a need for children to deal with issues of racism and prejudice," he said. Runyan said, "These kids are spending a whole week where the focus is getting to know each other. I think that's an experience that most people as adults have never had. It gives them time to go over issues in more detail and build trust with each other. It lessens their defenses." Most students said the week turned out to be more fun than they thought. "I thought it would be boring, like school," said Tom Pincon, a sixth grade Madison Middle School student. Daniel Tisdale, an eighth grade Springbrook Middle School student who just moved to Adrian from Austin, Texas, said, "It's been fun to act out things that happen to us." As an African American student, she's learned to deal with prejudice by ignoring the perpetrator, she said. Children will give a performance at 3:30 p.m today in Dominican Hall. The workshop is sponsored by Siena Heights College in conjunction with the Michigan State University Extension 4H office.