"While growing up I can remember my very proper Aunt Lydia commenting many times "You act just like your cousin Sam." says look alike Eric Rotsinger " I really did not know what she meant by that. Samuel Clemens was a famous author as well as an American icon so I assumed she was giving me a compliment. Now after years of reflection and studying the life of Clemens and the stories of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, I am not so sure."
Growing up in the small rural community of Van Wert, Oh afforded Eric the same raw materials as the famous boys of Hannibal . The Creek running through town was much smaller than the Mississippi River but a boy’s imagination can transform a puddle into an ocean. However, there were two railroads and Rt. 30, these provided more than enough fuel for adventure. These adventures would fodder many stories swapped between the youth. Childhood was encroached for this "Tom Sawyer," by the family business that required the efforts of all members and so the work-a-day world started.
A reprieve was found in High School of all places. He was sitting in Literature class the beginning of his sophomore year wanting to be any where else. "I tried to act-up, goof-off and make a nuisance of myself as usual but this teacher would not let me. Mr. Bartram wove my mischief into the books he was trying to teach." Before long the disrupter became the crusader. "I loved this stuff, the power of those printed pages overwhelmed me, I wanted to become a teacher so that I might give a child the gift I received" Fate had another idea. The would-be teacher was forced to join the ranks of the working world again..
Fast forward nearly three decades, on the night of Mr. Rotsinger’s 25th class reunion he was not in Van Wert with his class mates, fate put him in Gettysburg with a group of Living Historians. "I did not know what a Living Historian was for sure, but these guys were a hoot to hang with so I said sign me up" quipped Eric " as long as I can portray cousin Sam." The famous anti-imperialist made quite a stir at Civil war reenactments through out the Midwest, and was invited to do First Person at various venues including schools.
As a boy Mr. Rotsinger wanted to be a teacher, and now that has happened. He performs for as many as 10,000 children per year. "I an not an actor, I am not an entertainer, or showman I am an honest Remodeling Contractor, like a honest lawyer, rare, monetarily poor, but quite wealthy in hearts of my friends and clients. Originally I "did" Samuel Clemens as a diversion, but when I put on the White Suit something happens, that something is Mark Twain. The literary icon comes alive, a living, breathing, three dimensional view, if a picture is worth a thousand words, the embodiment is worth volumes. I have done little else than study, every spare minute is consumed by research. I have sorted through volumes seeking the truth so that when you meet me you are meeting Samuel Langhorn Clemens."
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presenter - 
Name of Program: Samuel Clemens a.k.a. "Mark Twain
Typical Length: 45
Minutes to One-Hour
Grade Levels this is
most appropriate for: 6 - College
Would
this be a good program for members of the community to participate in? No
Does this program come with pre or post activities for the Teacher and/or Student? No
Is
there a specific topic the Teacher could or should cover before participating in
this videoconference? Yes, the Civil War Era.
Understands United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861, and how it affected relations with external powers and Native Americans.
Understands how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions
Understands the sources and character of cultural, religious, and social reform movements in the antebellum period
Same as National Standards
Contact
Jim Spence
Virent Broadcasting Co.
1320 Glenview Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Phone: (614)
860-9558
Email: Virent@att.net