Archive: Around Town

2010 LHS production of 'Cats'Superintendent Stephen Grimm painted a depressing picture of budget prospects for the next several years at Monday's Lansing Board Of Education meeting.  With everything on the table, extra-curricular activities are particularly at risk as the board tries to fill a more than two million dollar revenue gap this year.  When the board struggled with decreasing revenues and skyrocketing costs last year a rally to keep the swimming pool and related programs open was a notable part of the proceedings.  While it is early in this year's process, Monday brought avid supporters of the theater program.

"A couple of years ago I was at a school board meeting at which a student said that theater was their sport of choice," said Lansing Theater and Performing Arts Booster Club (LTAPA) board member Bobbi Wasenko.  "That made me stop and think.  We have a field -- it's called our auditorium.  We have a coach, who is our director.  And we have uniforms, but we call them costumes.  One of the great things about our uniforms, that no other team in this school district can do, is that we rent ours out to make money for the student activity fund that pays for the play."


Wasenko argued that except for staff salaries the Lansing plays are completely self-funded by ticket sales, program ads, by renting the district's costume collection, and other LTAPA activities.  She also noted that it is an inclusive program in that any student who wants to be in the annual musical gets to be in it.

Senior Tara Miller spoke to the level of participation in this year's musical.  She tallied 52 cast members, 12 in the orchestra, 7 sound crew members, and 8 on the technical crew.  She noted that accounts for about 20% of the high school student population.  She argued that the musicals are an integral part of the school culture.

Senior Chelsea Weidman told the board that participation in the school musicals teach cooperation, responsibility, and leadership skills.  She added that being in a show provides a positive outlet for students who may be going down the wrong path.


Junior Sarah Beckwith said she plans to pursue a career in acting, and added that participation teaches social skills as well as learning to take directions and work together as a team.  She said she has made lifetime friends who she may not otherwise have gotten to know.

"If I hadn't done musicals here I wouldn't necessarily be as interested in doing them for a living," she said.  "If it weren't around people wouldn't have an opportunity to go farther with it in college."

Parent Vince Mehringer said the program is not a big financial drain, and the program's value is far from marginal.

"I know it's one of the best consistently in the county," he said.  "For the number of students involved and for the consistently excellent effort it's a real bargain for what we're getting."

Wasenko pointed out that LTAPA has given much more in actual dollar value than the cost of staff salaries.

"We have raised and given to the school system tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment," Wasenko added.  "Things like curtain legs, microphones, sound boards, lights... I could go on and on."

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