Seventh grader Kaitlynn Brooks, at right, chats with Southwick Regional School teachers Beatrice Pratt and Megan Whalen during the Person In History Fair Wednesday. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Regional School cafeteria was transformed into a history museum of sorts Wednesday, filled with politicians, entertainers, scientists and more.
The seventh grade People In History Fair celebrated non-fiction figures from the past as part of an English Language Arts assignment.
Teachers Megan Whalen and Jacqueline Desmaris said in the past, the students selected Victorian-era figures to research. This year, they were able to select a historical person from pre-1940 for the multi-genre project.
Students chose their person from history and selected a jumping off point, such as a birth certificate or diary entry, to tell their person’s story.
“They could use a tri-fold or a scrapbook for their visual,” said Whalen.
Many students chose to dress like their historical person. The cafeteria featured many sports figures, such as Vince Lombardi and Dummy Roy, the first deaf baseball player.
Eighth grade students participated by interviewing the seventh graders, who were in character, to see how much they learned.
Kaitlynn Brooks donned a ball gown and feather boa for her portrayal of Ginger Rogers.
Brooks chose Rogers because, like the famous actress, she is also a dancer.
“I do tap, jazz, ballet and I’m on the cheer team,” said Brooks.
Classmate Sarah Cerone portrayed another female who was perhaps not known as widely as Rogers, but whose impact is still felt today.
Alice Paul played a pivotal role in changing laws so women could vote. Cerone chose Paul to learn more about the feminist.
“She went to jail three times, and the third time she had to be force-fed because she refused to eat,” said Cerone. “The food was terrible and she wanted better food.”
Dominic Allaire, in character as Boris Karloff, researched the actor for the Person In History Fair at Southwick Regional School. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
For Dominic Allaire, narrowing his choice was difficult. The film buff considered Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi before choosing to represent Boris Karloff.
“He is one of the greatest actors of all time,” Allaire said of Karloff.
Allaire explained that he was a native of England who moved to Hollywood to pursue acting.
“He was told he should be different,” Allaire said, noting Karloff was very different than most actors of that time.
Desmaris said the Person In History Fair was a success, especially considering it was also the first time the re-vamped project was held at the new school.
“We’ve had a lot of parents and grandparents come, and people from the community,” she said. “Community involvement is something Southwick is known for.”
