Seeing history in person (WITH GALLERY)

Published 12:00 am Sunday, May 18, 2025

By Heath Harrison

Dawson-Bryant Elementary School hosts Living Wax Museum

DEERING — Students at Dawson Bryant Elementary School got a chance to learn about history by hearing from the people who made it happen.

The school hosted its ninth annual Living Wax Museum in the gymnasium and 35 fourth graders took part in the event, portraying figures ranging from sports to pop culture to politics to art.

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Lori Deer, fourth grade teacher at the school, noted the students were all doing this on their own time, and it was not a class assignment. Though she said extra credit was offered to those who took part.

She said the event gives the students a chance to learn about history, as well as to develop public speaking skills.

She said students pick a subject and research them, put together a costume, then prepare a one to two-minute speech, delivered in character in first person to groups of students, touring from the third through fifth grades.

One of those taking part was Karissa Harrison, who chose landscape painter and the host Bob Ross of PBS’ “The Joy of Painting” as her subject.

“I love art,” she said of her reason for picking Ross. And I’ve always liked it, ever since I was two.”

Harrison was asked if she learned anything new about Ross in her research.

“I didn’t know he was in the military,” she said of his life before being an art figure, in which he served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.

Across the room was Griffin Lackey, unlike the other students, who was portraying a figure he recently met.

Lackey chose Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor and 2024 presidential candidate, as his subject.

“I like him because he shows, even if you are young, you can run for Ohio governor,” he said of the 39-year-old candidate. “He’s a big inspiration and he wants to improve things.”

Lackey’s board included photos of him with Ramaswamy, who he met when the candidate was the keynote speaker at this year’s Lawrence County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner, which took place in April.

Lackey got to meet attend and meet Ramasawamy through his great grandfather, Burton “Doc” Payne, who was named by the county party as Republican of the Year at the event.

In another corner of the gym was Jace Mack, who was portraying Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt.

“He just inspires me,” he said of his subject. “He broke three records and he’s still the fastest man on earth.”

The students also gave their presentations for parents later in the day.

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