Upon entering the Moore Library last Tuesday, students were taken back to Europe in the 1700s. The seniors of Ms. Green’s AP European History class entered the age of Enlightenment as they each took on the role of specific influential people of the time, such as Voltaire, Mozart, Isaac Newton and many more.

The Enlightenment period of the 18th century was a philosophical movement where the power of human reason was highlighted by many innovations and ideas in politics, religion, science, and education.

The AP European History students were given the challenge to recreate the Enlightenment period into one school day at BSM, sharing their ideas with one another and the BSM community.

AP European History students completely took on the role of their characters speaking in accents and acting as though they had never met anyone at BSM. These historic figures interacted with students that visited the Enlightenment Salon, but also mingled with each other all afternoon.

“We came to discuss philosophy, religion, art, astronomy, science, and government, so we could become more diverse in different styles and opinions,” said senior Laura Hickey, who took on the role of Madame Du Pompadour, a courtesan to King Louis XV, “We got to know more about each other as characters and their opinions on society.”

Some students also put on presentations for the class and visitors, such as debates, poetry readings, violin and piano performances, and lectures. “The performances and presentations throughout the day helped us get to know each others’ characters even better,” said Hickey.

The purpose of the Enlightenment Salon for students was not only to familiarize themselves with famous figures, but also to share their knowledge with visiting classes.