History comes alive at Sisters school

History came magically alive on Wednesday when the Sisters Christian Academy Middle School presented its annual Living History Museum at Sisters Community Church. Students absorbed the personas of major historical figures over the ages and resurrected them into breathing personalities like Albert Einstein, Napoleon, Cleopatra and Apache leader Geronimo in a tour-de-force of creativity and imagination.

"For Living History Museum the kids each choose a person from the past, write a research paper and first-person speech, then design their own booth and perform it live for guests and other students in a series of five-minute presentations," explained teacher Deborah Halsten. "We look forward to the event every year, and the kids all work very hard."

According to Halsten, the project has two objectives - One, to get students comfortable with public speaking and two, to get them interested in the subject of world history.

"There are eight performances here in the Mountain View room and a main showing by Aaron Petit doing famous composer Frederich Chopin in the Upwards room," she said. "Last year he learned the piano in order to play the part of Mozart."

Telling his story beside a tiny teepee and campfire, Zack Gulick portrayed Geronimo and offered glimpses of his life to a small audience.

"I chose Geronimo because I like people who are old-fashioned and lived back in the 1800s and warriors from Greek and Roman times, too," said Gulick.

As the Queen of the Nile, Danika Wagner stood in a blue gown and black wig, channeling the spirit of Cleopatra. Her decorated booth included Egyptian jewelry, figs and an embroidered ceremonial robe with pearls. A captivated group listened to her story of life as royalty, a passionate love affair with Marc Antony and her sad death by poisonous asp.

Michaela Miller brought Scottish missionary Mary Slessor to life with a pitch-perfect accent inside a netted tent. She captivated seated visitors with her tale of poverty and disease in Nigeria, exotic animals, a smallpox epidemic and her diet of shortbread from Scotland while devoting her energies and time to her schools and mission.

Other performers included Jared May as Albert Einstein, Bethany Bachmeier as conservationist Celia Hunter, Michael Commins playing Emperor Napoleon, Beth Fisher as Holocaust rescuer Irene Gut Opdyke, and Danielle Sparling as New England author Louisa May Alcott.

In the main auditorium, Aaron Petit transformed himself into the great Polish composer and pianist Frederich Chopin upon a lavish stage designed to depict a cozy Parisian salon, complete with curtains, drapes, a piano and flickering digital fireplace.

Petit played an ailing Chopin, taking his invited guests on a trip back into his past, to a special night at a public concert in 1832. The 14-year-old fell into the role with passion and flair, exhibiting a talent on the piano keys far surpassing the mere two years since he first started playing.

"I'd love to become a concert pianist someday," said Petit. "October 26 was my two-year anniversary from the day I began the piano. To play Chopin, I read four or five articles on the Internet on him and watched the 2002 movie, 'Desire For Love.' I practice a lot. In the summer it was eight hours a day. I've had several teachers, but currently I'm learning with Peter Brownlee in Bend. I built the whole set with the help of my parents. I had to chop off a couple feet because it was too big for the stage."