National History Day
Nearly 125 Rocky River High and Middle School Students Compete in 2015 National History Day Competition: Eight Move On to State Competition
The District Competition of National History Day (NHD) 2015 was held at the Western Reserve Historical Society on Saturday, March 28. This year’s theme was Leadership and Legacy in History.
30 Rocky River High School students and 93 Rocky River Middle School Students took part in the competition, which involved selecting a topic, researching it, and presenting a project based on their findings. Frank O’Grady, the NHD advisor for both schools, met with the students over a period of several months, helping all 123 of them with their research outside of the regular school day.
The considerable amount of time and energy Mr. O’Grady spent on NHD is an indication of the importance he places on the skills students are developing. “Students learn advanced history research methods,” by participating in NHD, he explains. “Their NHD exhibit is essentially like a small museum exhibit about their history topic. It allows history to come alive for our RRCS students by engaging them in the discovery of history.” Mr. O’Grady highlights a number of teams whose research represents the “incredible” work done by the NHD students, including some remarkable first-person interviews:
- Eighth graders Raygan Murray, Mollie Tirpak and Mafe Chaves interviewed Chris Kennedy, the nephew of Jackie Kennedy and son of Bobby Kennedy, for their project, The Legacy of Jackie Kennedy
- Eighth graders Lillian Beach, Molly Clark and Isabella Petrus interviewed Amelia Earhart's niece for The Legacy of Amelia Earhart
- Eighth graders Helen Trudell, Rachel Solecki, Charlotte Weixel, Maura McIntyre and Lydia Brand interviewed Fern Ruth Levy, M.S., the Executive Director of the Anne Frank Moral Courage Project for THE LEGACY OF MIEP GIES
- Eighth graders Lauren Gifford, Page Snyder and Zorah Snavely interviewed Eleanor Roosevelt's grandson who lived with her during WWII for The Legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt
- Eighth graders Chris Baxley, Tommy Kelly, Michael Shoaf and Wilson Young interviewed Ken Morrow, one of the star USA hockey players on the 1980 Miracle on Ice USA Hockey team for The Legacy of Miracle On Ice
One particular interview had an extra personal touch. Mr. O’Grady explains, “One amazing interview for our NHD students this year was Mrs. Lil Clark, Spanish teacher at Rocky River Middle School. Mrs. Clark grew up in Cuba and won a contest in the 4th grade (1961) at her school to read a poem for Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro came to her school and Mrs. Clark read him a poem at a school assembly, then Fidel shook her hand.” Mr. O’Grady continues, “In January 1963 (after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962), Mrs. Clark's family escaped from Cuba on a Red Cross boat. Mrs. Clark shared her story with NHD teams researching the Cuban Missile Crisis at both the high school (RRHS 9th grade students Teagan Smith and Duncan "Chris" Feighan, who won a Gold Medal in our RRHS competition and also won an Honorable Mention in the NHD competition) and with students at the middle school (8th graders Sarah Robertson, Katie Capka and Allison Contenza, who won the Silver Medal at our RRMS competition.) This primary source oral history interview greatly enhanced the history research projects for both NHD student teams at RRHS and RRMS. The RRHS team won an Honorable Mention and will advance to the State NHD competition next month.”
Other students and exhibits who are moving on to the state competition include both middle-school and high-schools students and a variety of exhibits on the theme of Leadership and Legacy in History: - 1ST PLACE EXHIBIT: Legacy of The KGB by Emma Wagh, RRHS
- 2ND PLACE EXHIBIT: Legacy Of FDR and the CCC by Dante DiBenedetto, Jillian Inks, Ben Dizdarevic and Lottie Vaughan, RRMS (Dante and his parents went to the Alleghany National Forest and interviewed a 97-year-old veteran of the CCC, and the group won the gold medal at the RRMS Competition, held a couple days before the District event.)
- 2ND PLACE RESEARCH PAPER: Reagan & Gorbachev - End of Cold War by Jim Fitzgibbon, RRHS
- HONORABLE MENTION: Legacy of Kennedy Vs. Khrushchev: Cuban Missile Crisis by Chris Feighan & Teagan Smith, RRHS
In addition, two groups won special awards from the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve:
- Best Early Settlers project (Junior Division): The Legacy of John D. Rockefeller by Jaret Boettcher, Ryan Boettcher, Adam Hackett and Thomas Krizman (RRMS)
- Best Early Settlers project (Senior Division): The Legacy of John D. Rockefeller by Ali Brugh, Aleksandra Dunjic, Ella Mathewson, Jolie Mengert, and Olivia Loparo (RRHS)
Excitement for NHD is growing. Last year’s competition drew 40 students and 14 total projects—about one-third of this year’s impressive 123 students and 36 total projects. Mr. O’Grady notes that many faculty and staff members helped with NHD, including both building’s principals and social studies and history teachers. The RREF, too, provided critical support.
Judging by the interest for NHD and the success of the students’ work, National History Day will continue to be a highlight of the RRCS academic year.