Eastern Illinois University The Keep
2005 Press Releases
3-4-2005 03/04/2005 - Living History Program Presents Historical Characters.pdf University Marketing and Communications
Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/press_releases_2005
Recommended Citation University Marketing and Communications, "03/04/2005 - Living History Program Presents Historical Characters.pdf" (2005). 2005. 53. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/press_releases_2005/53
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Press Releases at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in 2005 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EASTERN lLLI NOIS NEWS UN IVERS IT Y ------Department of University Communications Contact: Vicki Woodard ([email protected]) 600 Lincoln Avenue Melinda Matthews ([email protected]) Room 2142 Old Main 217-581-7650 Charleston, Illinois 61920-3099 217-581-8444 (fax) (www.eiu.edu/-pubaff/index.htm)
05-54 March 4, 2005 For Immediate Release: LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM PRESENTS HISTORICAL CHARACTERS CHARLESTON -An Egyptian queen, a woman born into slavery and a president's wife are among the historical figures that will visit local classrooms this month as part of the Living History Program at Eastern Illinois University. "I love the Living History Program because it brings characters from history alive for the elementary students," said Gail Mason, program coordinator. "They have an opportunity to see people they've seen in history books and people they've never heard about who are important." A free public performance is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, in Coleman Hall Auditorium on campus. A reception with Girl Scout cookies is to follow. Diane Reid of Lombard will portray Hatshepsut, the longest-ruling female Egyptian pharaoh; Rochelle Owens of South Holland will portray Sojourner Truth, a freed slave and abolitionist; Megan Garrity of Batavia will portray Betty Ford, the former first lady who founded a drug and alcohol treatment center; Jami Arceneaux of Evanston will portray Ida B. Wells-Barnett, an African-American journalist who fought against lynching in the 1890s; Allison Banducci of Schaumburg will portray Elizabeth Blackwell, the first modern woman doctor; and Katie Gillen of Lincoln will portray artist Georgia O'Keeffe. This marks the 17th year of EIU's Living History Program, which runs during Women's History and Awareness Month. A grant from the Redden Fund has improved the program by expanding costume offerings and by allowing it to donate books about the portrayed characters to the schools where the presentations are made. The program is presented in all five elementary schools in the Charleston school district: Lerna, Ashmore, Mark Twain, Carl Sandburg and Jefferson. All told, the six volunteers will give about 120 presentations in March to more than 40 different classrooms. Mason figures at least 600 elementary students will hear the presentations. In addition to educating the elementary students, the project benefits the EIU students, teaching them how to present themselves, be in character, interact with elementary students and adapt for an -more- ADD 1/1/1/1 LIVING HISTORY audience, Mason said. Presenters are responsible for doing their own research. They work with faculty mentors to hone their presentations, making sure they're interactive and told in a first-person manner. Although some receive class credit, most do it on a volunteer basis. 'The participants really enjoy this project," Mason said, adding that three of the six students are returning participants. -30-