2008 National History Day: Winners from Stamford Honored by The Stamford Historical Society

At the annual meeting of the Society on June 9, Dick Harper, Society board member and Regional Coordinator of National History Day, presented Stamford students who were 2008 History Day winners.

The History Day program encourages students in grades 6-8 (Junior Division) and 9-12 ( Senior Division) to create historic papers, exhibits, live presentations, or documentaries focused around a theme. Students present initially in the regional level, held in Stamford. The top three places then go to the Connecticut level. The top two from Connecticut in each category compete on the National level at the University of Maryland.

The theme in 2008 was Conflict and Compromise in History.

The list below includes the achievements of students from Stamford at the Connecticut History Day.

2008 JUNIOR DIVISION

Junior Group Documentary
3rd:  The Texas Revolution
Nick Antonucci, Seamus Ronan, Will Kesler – Turn of River Middle School

Junior Individual Documentary
1st:  Lessons from Nuremberg: The Importance of International Cooperation to Prosecute War Criminals
Emily Freedman – Turn of River Middle School
3rd:  East Meets West: “The Week that Changed the World”
Samantha Sye, Rippowam – Middle School

Junior Paper
2nd:  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Homosexual Rights in the Military
Ariel Shaulson – Turn of River Middle School

Outstanding Entry In Connecticut History
Polish Immigration to Stamford
David Engel, Alex, Siebert, James Irvine – Turn of River Middle School

2008 SENIOR DIVISION

Senior Group Documentary
2nd:   The Election of 1876: An Ill-Fated Compromise
Claire Lyons, Sean Madsen, Kari Behunick, Tucker Blandford – Westhill High School

Senior Individual Performance
1st:  From Conflict to Compromise in 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis
Kathleen Clark – Stamford High School

Senior Paper
3rd:  Harry Hay and the Society of Fools
Michael Johnson – Academy of Information Technology and Engineering

TEACHERS

Thomas Johnston – Turn of River Middle School
Maryann Maguire – Rippowam Middle School
Claude Morest – Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
Matthew Palazzi – Rippowam Middle School

The attentive audience was treated to several videos and Emily Freedman's performance of “Lessons from Nuremberg.”

Congratulations to All!