Nineteen English as a Second Language students are immersing themselves in a slice of American history to improve their language skills.
These Interlochen Arts Academy students will present an original radio drama this week, "The Changing Meaning of Work: Personal Narratives,” for two live performances, one at Northwestern Michigan College and one at Interlochen. These performances will also be recorded for later broadcast on Interlochen Public Radio.
Since the project began in March with research on the 1937 Flint sit down strike, students have also learned about the Great Depression, the auto industry, labor relations, family life and conflict resolution.
"The United States changed because of the car, GM and Ford,” said Kenji Sugano of Japan, a sophomore cello major in his first year at the school.
Playing the part of management, "the bad guy” as he terms it, Sugano said after a rehearsal last week that the students are learning to put their hearts into the production.
"Especially the workers, they are strong but I have to be strong, too,” he said.
Under the guidance of their teacher, Marvine Stamatakis, students tapped Interlochen history teacher Brian McCall for some information as his grandfather participated in the strike. In keeping with the project's larger mission delving into the changing nature of work, McCall also talked about the auto industry and students later examined current trends of globalization.
They also heard from local business people including Matt and Keegan Myers, owners of Broneah Kiteboarding, Mike and Denise Busley, owners of the Grand Traverse Pie Company, and Associated Press reporter John Flesher.
"We focus on the strike because it was an important strike in the history of labor,” said Stamatakis, noting that the project received a Michigan Humanities Council Grant, the only high school that qualified as the other five grants this year went to colleges. "For the script, they learned a lot about labor unions.”
This is the fifth project of this nature that Stamatakis has completed with her ESL students over the years. Her beginning ESL students are making an I-movie of the project, boosting their language development in the process.
"This is so perfect for language development because it works on the four skills they need: reading, writing, speaking and listening,” she said. "It really builds their confidence and ability to function in English.”
Seniors Aaron Jaffe, a motion picture arts major, and Chase Yurga-Bell, a creative writing major, penned the manuscript "Stand Up! Sit Down! A Reflection on the 1937 Flint Sit Down Strike.” Writing the piece during an intense, two-day marathon, they completed the project under the guidance of guest instructor George Zarr, who is teaching an audio writing and production class. The writers used the ESL students as the subject matter experts, interviewing them for the needed information and details.
A noted writer, director and composer based in New York City, Zarr first worked with Interlochen's ESL students on another radio play in 2005, "But Not Our Souls.” He has gone from never having heard of the school to a devoted convert to its mission, students and output.
"I've been here a semester and I can't believe what these kids do,” said Zarr of his second visit to the school, this time for a semester.
During a rehearsal Wednesday afternoon, Zarr coached students on the fine points of acting, directing, making sound effects and all aspects of radio production. He also has composed music to accompany the drama and Interlochen students will perform it live.
"The Changing Meaning of Work: Personal Narratives” will be performed on Friday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building at Northwestern Michigan College and on Saturday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in the Dendrinos Chapel at Interlochen. Both performances are free.