Friday, May. 09, 2008

Living history museum planned

Authors, athletes, film stars will be represented

History and its most influential personalities will come alive once again at the annual living wax museum presented by some of Los Baños High School's brightest students.

"It would be good for people to attend because it puts a face with information," Rachel Waldron, 17, said.

Waldron and her junior peers from advanced placement history class will be at Henry Miller Plaza from 3:30-6 p.m., May 16 in full costume depicting famed-aviator Ameila Earhart, silent film star Louise Brooks and naturalist Charles Darwin among others.

The living museum will feature 110 students as characters from pre-Revolutionary days through the 1920s. Each statue will have a short biography of the character as well as a button that, when pushed, brings the character to life.

Tim McNally, history teacher, said this museum will feature the most characters in the event's history.

Started six years ago as a fun and speedy way to learn about the prominent people in history, the wax museum has evolved into a yearlong project for advanced placement students and has taken the museum from the small confines of the high school's library to Henry Miller Plaza.

McNally joked that soon they will have to find an even bigger place to hold the museum.

A few new characters will be represented including Charlie Chaplain and Dr. Seuss. Also, history's famed partnerships and rivalries will make an appearance including Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, best remembered for their fatal duel, and athlete Jim Thorpe and his football coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner.

"It really runs the gamut this year," McNally said.

McNally has said in the past that the living museum is the easiest part of the assignment for students.

They have to re-create their chosen figure's family tree, write journal entries as that character when they were 16 years old and describe how that character would want to be remembered on top of a term paper.

Students also had to write a letter to an elementary school student inviting them to the event and another one to a museum or historical society seeking information about their character.

Erica Mello, 17, said the last part was by far the hardest when it came to researching her historical figure, Louise Brooks, because a copy of the museum's response to her letter has to be turned in as part of the project. It was also difficult to decide what type of information to use in her interpretation, she said.

"With all the information out on the Internet it's hard to decide which one is true," Mello said.

Waldron said it was fairly easy researching her historical figure, Amelia Earhart. The aviator's hometown had erected a museum in her honor and sent her a lot of information.

It helps, Waldron said, that she also wants to get her pilot's license one day.

"She was a role model for women," she said.

Overall students said the project was enlightening and they now better understand the people that shaped history and the world.

Irving Garcia, 16, said he thought he knew the most important things about Charles Darwin, who formed the basis of modern evolution theory. Through the project he learned that Darwin had previously studied theology and had at one point wanted to be a physician.

"I like him because he formed ideas that at the time were hard to accept," Garcia said.

Garcia, Waldron and Mello said they hope to see many faces out at Henry Miller Plaza.

"I went when I was little," Mello said. "It's a cool experience."

Enterprise reporter Minerva Perez can be reached by phone at (209)388-6565 or by e-mail at mperez@losbanosenterprise.com

Enterprise reporter Minerva Perez can be reached by phone at (209)388-6565 or by e-mail at mperez@losbanosenterprise.com