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Students school congressman on Lincoln

U.S. Rep. Steve Austria asked students in social studies classes to write essays on the 16th president

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By Megan Gildow, Staff Writer 9:12 PM Monday, May 11, 2009

SOUTH VIENNA — U.S. Rep. Steve Austria spoke to South Vienna Elementary students Monday, May 11, about the legislative process, Abraham Lincoln and a time capsule at the nation’s capital that will hold the students’ essays for the next fifty years.

Austria, R-Beavercreek, asked students in Nona Alleman’s social studies classes to write essays on the 16th president as part of a project commemorating Lincoln’s 200th anniversary.

“The essays that the students wrote, we’re going to put in a time capsule,” said Austria, who will also write an essay on the same subject of what Lincoln means today. Those papers will be in a time capsule for 50 years with essays from other elected officials and students across the country.

The students researched Lincoln before composing their essays just after learning about the Civil War in Ohio history, said Alleman.

“He just wants everyone’s life to be fair. It didn’t matter what you looked liked or anything, it matters what’s in here,” Bo Davis said of Lincoln as he patted his heart. Bo is the son of Kristin Davis, one of Austria’s congressional assistants, who put the representative in touch with Alleman.

Many of the students enjoyed the work so much they spent extra time researching Lincoln and offered up interesting facts.

Among them:

• Abraham Lincoln’s mother died from “milk sickness” after drinking milk from a cow that had eaten a poisonous mushroom.

• He was the tallest president at 6’4.

• Although he was wealthy, President Lincoln dressed like he was poor.

• He was assassinated for his political beliefs.

• He had a dog named Jip.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0373 or mgildow@coxohio.com.

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