BENTON— May 4, 2019 Last week, students from local schools in Marshall County participated in the state-level National History Day contest at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Marshall County High School took first place in both the Senior Individual Website and Senior Group Website categories, as well as sweeping the top three places in the Senior Group Exhibit category. New Covenant Christian Academy brought home third place in the Junior Group Documentary category.
In first place for the Senior Individual Website was Colby Edwards, a junior at Marshall County High School and Vice President of the school’s chapter of the Kentucky Junior Historical Society. His website, titled “Muckraking: When Citizens are Bent on Triumphing Through Preventable Tragedies” won him his first national competition appearance.
In the Senior Group Website category, Cameron Armstrong, Claire Harmon, and Katie Hurst, all seniors at Marshall County High School, took first place for their website titled “Sisters of the Resistance.” This is Claire’s second national-qualifying project in as many years, and Cameron and Katie’s first in as many years.
In third place for the Senior Group Exhibit category was Cole Wyatt and Luke Wyatt, a senior and junior, respectively at Marshall County High School. Their exhibit, titled “Triumph & Tragedy of the Transcontinental Railroad in History” won them third place, earning the honor as an alternate to attend the national contest in the event first or second cannot attend. They have each qualified for national competition twice previously.
In second place for the Senior Group Exhibit category was Anastasia Shaverina, junior, and Jackson Boone, freshman, both from Marshall County High School, for their project “Romanov Requiem”. They have advanced to the national competition, which is Anastasia’s second appearance in as many years, and Jackson’s first in as many years.
Rounding out the Senior Group Exhibit category was Abigail Stanger, junior at MCHS and President of the school’s KJHS chapter, and Conor Washburn, junior. Their exhibit, “The Two Faces of Cordell Hull: One Triumphant Man’s Career of Hidden Tragedies”, presented by Abigail, received first at the contest and qualified for the national competition. Abigail will present at nationals, her fourth appearance in as many years.
In the junior division, New Covenant Christian Academy made their first state appearance in the competition. The group of Kinsley Cloninger, Anney Kelly, Samantha Molle, and Cate Taylor finished third in their category, earning the honor of serving as alternates in the event first or second place cannot attend. This week, the group was notified that they have been called upon to attend the national competition. This is New Covenant’s first national appearance ever, and the group’s documentary, “1893 Chicago Worlds Fair” is only the second project in the junior division from a school in Marshall County to make the national competition, and the first since 2016.
National History Day is a project-based contest that provides students an opportunity to develop critical thinking and source analysis skills while gaining historical perspective. Students spend months researching a topic of their choice before presenting their work in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.
Guided by an annual theme, students are encouraged to choose a topic that matches their personal interests. The 2019 theme is Triumph & Tragedy in History. The top two entries from every category are invited to the National Contest held June 2019 at the University of Maryland at College Park, the third place project serving as an alternate.
