Meet In The Middle will be hosting a Lunch Theater on Thursday, April 10, in which several local schools will gather in the auditorium to enjoy lunch and a performance of “Leading Ladies,” by the One Act Play District Champions. Team Force Teacher and Meet in the Middle Sponsor Terrie Parker said she hopes to create a local network where students with and without intellectual disabilities can meet together for social and athletic opportunities.

For the lunch theater event, Beverly Fikes’ Culinary Arts class will prepare a meal for all the guests and Babs Fosters’ Hospitality class will be decorating the tables. Parker’s class will serve as the hosts for the visiting schools with the help of the Meet in the Middle partners.

“We hope to achieve the satisfaction of hosting a very fun event and make some new friends along the way,” Parker said.

Meet In The Middle is an organization that encourages relationships between students with and without intellectual disabilities.

“Statistics show that most students with intellectual disabilities do not have an active social life after school with same-age peers,” Parker said. “This is an attempt not only for these awesome students to meet other people and make new friends, but it is also an opportunity for our club to enjoy a social event and share ideas with other MIM clubs. And to top it off, we get to showcase our talented LCM students by enjoying the event decorations, the meal skillfully prepared, and the performance by very talented actors and actresses.”

Parker said there are many things her students are looking forward to with this event.

“Like other students, they are happy to miss some classes,” she said. “But they are excited to meet new friends, eat, and enjoy a good show.”

According to Parker, she is very excited to see the students work together to make this event possible. She is even excited that her class has the opportunity to serve others by hosting the Lunch Theater.

“I believe we are happier people when we do something for others, take the focus off ourselves and put it on other people,” Parker said. “I am amazed that the personal growth I see in my students’ characters when they perform simple acts of kindness.”