Posted
February 18, 2026
In Room 204, glass display cases line the walls of the Br. Bennet Nettleton, C.S.C. History Museum.
Helmets, uniforms, maps, medals, and fragments of distant conflicts rest only steps from students’ desks. Nearby, pieces of Greek pottery, delicate Asian scrolls, and Egyptian cartouches offer glimpses into civilizations thousands of years old. What was once Br. Bennet’s classroom is still a place of instruction—where the work of preserving and understanding the past quietly passes from one generation of historians to the next.
As St. Edward’s longest-serving faculty member, Br. Bennet spent decades building the collection, traveling and gathering artifacts that made history more engaging and accessible. Long before “hands-on learning” became a widely embraced educational philosophy, he understood that students learn best when they can see and touch the past for themselves. Over time, his former students began contributing pieces of their own—objects collected during military service, travel, or study—adding new layers to the room’s story. The result is a space shaped not only by one teacher’s forward-thinking vision, but also by the generations of students he taught and inspired.
It makes history feel real, you’re not just reading about it—you can actually see it right in front of you. - Lukas Parsons ’27
Students Take the Lead
This year, members of a new club—the Youth Organization for Display and Archives (YODA)—have been researching the origins of the museum items, and writing descriptions to help others understand their significance. The work is detailed, but it has also given students a deeper connection to the space around them. To compliment their work, the students are able to reference an existing archive of many of the items, and will be able to expand upon the catalogue eventually.
For Sullivan Meneghetti ’28, the classroom offers something that can’t be replicated on a screen.
“I’ve loved history for as long as I can remember,” he said. “We don’t just look at textbooks or websites here—we can hold a shell casing or even a piece of the Berlin Wall, and it transports you.”
Meneghetti joined YODA knowing the responsibility that comes with caring for the collection. Club members research how to properly handle artifacts, deciding when gloves are needed, and how to protect fragile materials while still allowing students to handle the items.
“They still have to be interactive,” he said. “That’s what Br. Bennet wanted. It’s an honor to be part of the inaugural year of the club.”
Learning from Experts
To deepen their understanding, YODA members recently visited the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where they learned from professional curators and exhibits staff. They saw firsthand how artifacts are handled, preserved, and displayed—gaining insight into the care required to protect historical objects while still making them meaningful and accessible.
“This visit showed us how to properly handle artifacts and preserve them while still keeping their purpose,” Meneghetti said. “It gave us ideas for how to bring museum standards back to our classroom.”
Becky Petrilli, a history teacher and co-founder of the club, has seen how the experience has shaped her students.
“You can see their excitement,” she said. “They’re more invested because the work is real. They’re preserving something that belongs to this community.”
During my eighth-grade visit to St. Ed's, I stepped into Room 204 and immediately knew this was the perfect school for me. - Bryce Hale ’27
A Legacy Continued
Though current students never had Br. Bennet as a teacher, the classroom still carries his vision. After Br. Bennet’s passing, Jim Wallenhorst ’74 took up the mantle, caring for the space and its growing collection. A teacher at the school for 39 years until his own passing in 2020, Wallenhorst brought the same hands-on approach that made history tangible for students, ensuring the museum remained a living part of the St. Edward experience.
Today, Spencer Weidig ’13, an alumnus who once sat in Room 204 himself, now teaches there.
“It’s an incredible honor to teach in this space,” Weidig said. “I remember what it felt like to be a student in here and listen to Mr. Wallenhorst. One of my favorite parts now is knowing that if we’re talking about a moment in history, I can walk a few steps, pick something up, and pass it around to my own students. That connection stays with them.”
Carrying It Forward
YODA Club members are now curating traveling mini-exhibits for local middle schools. Packing artifact cases and stepping into the role of teachers themselves, they share the stories behind each object, spark curiosity in younger students, and carry forward the hands-on learning Br. Bennet championed.
The cases may travel, and the students may graduate, but the work remains the same: to encounter the past up close and carry its lessons forward.
Preserving Br. Bennet's collection is the kind of learning that defines St. Edward—hands-on, meaningful, and student-driven. Click here to explore the museum’s archives, which were professionally catalogued in 2021, and enjoy a few student favorites below!
If you would like the YODA Club to bring educational artifacts to your school or organization, please reach out to Mrs. Petrilli at rpetrilli@sehs.net or Mr. Weidig at sweidig@sehs.net.