National History Day State

Birchwood students had an impressive showing at the state
level of the National History Day competition on Saturday,
April 28. Held at Ohio State University in Columbus, the event
brought together the top place finishers from nine district-level
competitions across Ohio. Twenty-two Birchwood students
qualified to compete at the state event. Against very strong
competition, nine of the students received top honors as national
finalists and will be advancing to the national competition in June
at the University of Maryland.

In the historical paper category, Prathna K was a finalist with her
paper on Nellie Bly, an investigative reporter from the late 1800s
and early 1900s. Also in that category, Maya F qualified as a
national alternate for her paper on Jane Edna Hunter, a Cleveland
reformer from the early 1900s. In the individual website category,
Kavya R qualified as a finalist for her website on revolutions in
Renaissance surgery and anatomy. Dhweeja D was awarded
an honorable mention for her website on the smallpox vaccine.
Birchwood students swept the group website category, with two
groups qualifying as national finalists and one group designated
as the national alternate. Nate C and Clive C were finalists with
their website on the integrated circuit. Sachi G and Joan C were
also finalists with their website on the Hough Riots in Cleveland
in 1966. Ammar L and Michael T were national alternates for
their website on the conservation movement in the early 1900s.
In the group documentary category, Pheby L and Grace X were
national finalists for their documentary on the Montgomery Bus
Boycott. Peter A was awarded an honorable mention for his
individual documentary on President Truman’s firing of General
MacArthur. In group performances, Katelyn V and Alexander I
were national alternates for their performance about investigative
journalists from the early 1900s. Kareem T and Cameron S
received an honorable mention for their performance about
the space race. In the individual exhibit category, Anna H was
a national finalist with her board about Rachel Carson’s book,
Silent Spring.

In addition, Birchwood students received several special awards.
Maya F received two awards, with the first one from the Ohio
Historical Records Advisory Board for the best use of Ohio’s
Historical records in a History Day project. Her second award
was from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
for “the most outstanding project focusing on an individual who
has contributed significantly to the advancement of freedoms and
the assurance of the civil and human rights of others.” Grace X
and Pheby L received an award from Ohio State University’s
Department of History for their outstanding historical research.
As an additional note, Birchwood alumni Zaeem L placed as the
national alternate in the senior individual website category. He
also received a prize from the National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center. His website focused on the Freedom Rides
in the early 1960s.

Congratulations to all these students for their hard work and
accomplishments! Projects will be on display at Birchwood’s
Parent Night on May 16.