Orientation musical discusses ‘serious issues’

While jokes and laughter filled the Wells-Metz Theatre in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center last Wednesday, deeper messages about college life were delivered to incoming freshmen.

The 45-minute musical “For Students Only” ended its six-week run last week with more than 50 incoming students attending. During those six weeks, seven actors and actresses performed more than 45 shows and entertained more than about 250 incoming freshmen per show. The program was designed to educate and reach students about diversity, alcohol abuse and sexual assault, said Carol McCord, assistant dean of the Office for Women’s Affairs.

This year’s program was created and directed by Mike Raunick, who graduated from IU in May.

“There was always something like this musical or program to educate incoming freshmen about various issues,” Raunick said. “But I wanted to improve it so that students can more easily understand and enjoy the show and lessons.”

This year was the fifth year the Office of Orientation Programs sponsored an awareness program of some kind for students, McCord said. She added that the orientation office collaborated with the Office for Women’s Affairs and Commission on Personal Safety for the event.

“It was important to have an educational program and to find a proper medium so that people could be open to pick information about these serious issues in college,” McCord said. “I think approaching students through interaction theater was successful because it’s not boring and intimidating like a lecture.”

The musical production had scenes that focused on different situations in which students could find themselves. The characters often joked about stereotypes and themselves, making the audience laugh.

“It was really down-to-earth, and I’m pleased how the show realistically acted out the situations that can happen to many college students,” said incoming freshman Stephanie Holiday.

John Kinzer, director of audience Development in the Department of Theatre and Drama, said he was very pleased with this year’s musical. He said the awareness programs have always been one of the most popular orientation programs but it was enormously successful this year because he believed “For Students Only” tried to really connect with the incoming students.

Faculty members and students were not the only people who were satisfied with the show. The most important audience – incoming freshmen – said they liked watching the musical because it was helpful.

“I really enjoyed it because it was funny and kept on reminding the students about the real issues, but not in a boring way,” said incoming freshman Chris Strautman.

McCord said she hopes to continuously create student-run programs that will be helpful to incoming students. She also said it was great to receive positive feedback from other students who really enjoyed the musical.

“I loved the feedback this year and I think we received this positive response because the musical was not only funny and enjoyable but hard-hitting and direct,” McCord said.