Bringing History to Life at Beverly Manor Middle School

Ben Coffey and Holden Sandridge, seventh graders at Beverly Manor Middle School, both agree. "This opportunity allows everyone to experience something instead of just sitting in the classroom."

Woodrow Wilson, played by Judd Bankert, came to Beverly Manor Middle School for the sixth year to hold a mock press conference. All of Beverly Manor's 7th grade students, who are currently finishing their study on World War 1 and President Wilson, attended the conference. Twenty-two of them, however, were selected by teachers to be the "press", and each were allowed to ask President Wilson one question of their choosing. "They got the benefit of having the additional research. We spent time giving them background. The question was totally theirs. They had ownership of the questions," said Mrs. Scarlett Kiser, the 7th grade Social Studies teacher who organized the event.

These press conferences have been a Beverly Manor tradition for six years. It was originally organized as a larger event for all of the local middle schools to participate, but as Beverly Manor showed more and more interest, Woodrow Wilson came to their school. "I have been coming here for a long time," said Ellen Abernathy, who works with Museum Education and with school outreach programs. "[To do this] They have to learn the protocol of a press conference and how to approach a president. (...) I think they have to delve into the era. They really come to understand that there was a whole different lifestyle."

The twenty-two students involved asked excellent questions that showed this deeper knowledge of the time period, and Woodrow Wilson's personal life- including questions such as "Could you explain your plan for peace? The Fourteen Points?", "Why are you so concerned about having peace with people in other countries while here at home you are ignoring the rights of American people and are not trying to stop segregation?", "What in your childhood really influenced your Presidency?" and "You were so quick to crush rebellions in Haiti and Mexico. Why didn't you do that in Europe?". President Wilson gave wonderful and detailed answers to every question. He explained his love for Princeton University saying, "I'd rather be a professor there than president [of a college] anywhere else." When asked about the Senate's rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, he said that the Senate had rejected it because they thought it might be a threat to our sovereignty, but he went on to say that "agreeing to do what is right is not giving up sovereignty", and explained his vision for the League of Nations as part of his Fourteen Points, wanting to promote "rights of nations, big and small."

One of his most inspirational answers came to Emily Gardner's question: "What in your childhood really influenced your Presidency?" One thing in particular that he felt influenced him was his struggle to learn to read. At about the age of 9, Woodrow Wilson was just learning the alphabet, but his parents never gave up on him. "When faced with a great challenge, it needs to be taken head-on." He went on to tell the story of a student that came to him when he worked at Princeton. This student was having trouble with his Latin classes, and asked Mr. Wilson's advice. He replied, "Take all of the Latin classes you can. (...) When you come across something you're struggling with, hold tight until you've mastered it."

Many people in attendance feel history is extremely important. One of these people is Abby Claytor, a junior at Bridgewater College who is working as an intern at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, "Anyone can enjoy history in the right way." Mr. Bankert, who played Wilson, feels that Wilson's messages transcend his period. "He speaks to contemporary issues, and his Fourteen Points have relevant, universal truths." Some of these points that he feels are most important are (1) all international settlements are reached in open negotiations, (2) ensuring total freedom of the seas, (3) elimination of barriers of trade, (4) weapons reduction, (5) settlement of colonial disputes by listening to the people within the colonies as well, not just the ruling governments, and (6) the establishment of the League of Nations. "They're as relevant and appropriate today as they were over one hundred years ago. (...) There are some political figures that are very contemporary. They're very much rooted in their time, but Wilson isn't like that. (...) They [his ideas] don't just apply to his time or his generation, but to us today."