Press

ALBANY, NY – Forty-seven middle and high school students from throughout the Capital District won top prizes in the Capital Region History Day Contest at the New York State Museum and will advance to the state competition in Cooperstown on April 29.

The contest, held March 26, attracted 101 students and 65 entries from schools in Albany, Clifton Park, Delmar, Guilderland, Granville, Voorheesville and Schenectady. They competed in the preliminary regional competition of the National History Day Contest. The national theme for this year’s competition is “Debate and Diplomacy in History: Success, Failures, Consequences.”

After working on their entries for many months, competitors qualified for the regional contest by doing well at contests held at individual schools throughout the area. Students researched history topics of their choice related to the theme to create exhibits, documentaries, performances, research papers and website designs. Participants included students in grades 6-8 in the Junior Division and grades 9-12 in the Senior Division. The program culminates in the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest June 12-16 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

There were two special prizes for those in the regional competition. This year’s Archives Partnership Trust award for the best use of historical records was won by Michael Zhu from Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland for his historical paper entitled "The Week That Changed the World: Nixon's Visit to China.” The second Archives award went to Ashley Visker also of Farnsworth Middle School for her junior individual documentary entitled, "Child labor and How its Laws Were Passed.” Each of these winners will receive a $100 savings bond.

The other prize, the Daphne C. Cotter Women's History Award, is given "in hopes that young people will study and reflect on the courage of women.” The recipient is Katelynn Leavey of Granville Senior High School, Granville whose historical paperis entitled "Anna Howard Shaw's

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Contribution to Women's Rights.” She won a $25 gift card from Barnes and Noble.

National History Day is the nation’s leading program for history education in the schools. It makes history come alive for America's youth by engaging them in the discovery of the historic, cultural

and social experiences of the past. Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands

of teachers and parents nationwide, participate in the contest. Further information on the state History Day contest is available at http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/Contest.htm.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The State Museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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EDITORS NOTE: The attached list identifies the first place winners in the regional competition who will go on to the state competition.

CAPITAL REGION HISTORY DAY WINNERS

Junior Historical Paper: “The Cuban Missile Crisis: On the Brink of Nuclear War,” Bill Dong, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Junior Individual Documentary: “How Sweet It Is! The Berlin Candy Bomber,” Sean Quinn, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Junior Group Documentary: “Opposition to Rock and Roll,” Shannon Gerety, Kerry Gerety, Hayley Kmack, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Junior Group Performance: “It Cannot Be Helped,” Shadeh Din, Fatimah Ikram, Saffura Ahmad, Suad Abdalla, Cemile Antal, An Nur Islamic School, Schenectady (Teacher: Sharifa Din)

Junior Individual Exhibit: “The March on Washington,” Sindhu Mateti, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Junior Group Exhibit: “The Women’s Suffrage Debate: Let Us Vote,” Montana Stone, Olivia Lukasiewicz, Siena Marcelle, Bethlehem Central Middle School, Delmar (Teacher: Kristen Burns)

Junior Individual Web Sites: “From Yalta to the Cold War,” Sarah Jones, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Junior Group Web Sites: “Home Rule in Northern Ireland,” Abigail Bemis, Lindsey Garrant, Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Senior Historical Paper: “On the Brink: Debate and Diplomacy,” Michelle Kang, Guilderland High School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Senior Individual Documentary: “Harriet Tubman,” Lyndsey Schafer, Shenendehowa High School, Clifton Park (Teacher: Amber Quinn)

Senior Individual Performance: “Benjamin Franklin: America’s Diplomat,” Cody Ingraham, Guilderland High School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Senior Group Performance: “Tradition vs. Science: The Scopes Trial,” Kristyn Donohue, Emily Snyder, Shenendehowa High School, Clifton Park (Teacher: Amber Quinn)

Senior Individual Exhibit: “Conservation, Competition, Coexistence: Making Peace with Wolves,” Rachel Lee, Clayton A. Bouton High School, Voorheesville (Teacher: Tom Gladd)

Senior Group Exhibit: “When Debate and Diplomacy Fails: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,” Abigail Schnoor, Lixinbei Jing, Guilderland High School, Guilderland (Teacher: Deborah Escobar)

Senior Individual Web Sites: “Cuban Missile Crisis,” Matt Gauvreau, LaSalle School, Albany (Teacher: Jerald Hensler)

4/4/11