Judging is now underway in this year’s State History Day competition. Huntington students are well represented in the contest, which is based in upstate Cooperstown, but which is being held virtually in 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Judging began on April 16 and will continue through April 29. Results will be announced on April 30. The top projects will advance to the National History Day national championship round in June.
The 2021 contest’s national theme is “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” Students conduct months of research to develop their projects, which are submitted in one of five formats: historical research papers, museum exhibits, video or computer generated documentaries, theatrical performances, and websites. Besides individual entries, all categories except papers can be completed by a group of up to five students.
Vying in the state finals are the following Huntington contestants and projects:
Senior Group Documentary: “Dr. Frank Field” by Rachel Morina, Mikah Schuller and Isabella Lima
Senior Group Website: “Operation Mincemeat: The Series of Communications that Altered the Course of World War II by Talia Addeo, Laurel Bonn and McKenna Buffa
Senior Group Exhibit: “Hello Girls: The Heroines of Communication in World War I” by Markella Markotsis and Renee McKean
Senior Individual Exhibit: “The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971: A Cry for Reform” by Cassidy Casabona
Junior Individual Performance: “Extra! Extra! Newsies Stand Up and Speak Out” by Chloe Donovan
Senior Individual Documentary: “The League of United Latin American Citizens” by Jennifer Lopez Del-Cid
Senior Historical Paper: “The Unanswered Call for Justice: How Chinese-American Resistance to the 1892 Geary Act Communicated a Need for Change” by Erin Ye
Senior Individual Documentary: “Ralph Baer: Communication Through Innovation” by Ally Kustera
Senior Individual Website: “Mokusatu: A Fatal Misinterpretation” by Haileigh Smith
Among Huntington’s nine project entries arebeight developed by Huntington High School students and an individual performance by Woodhull Intermediate School sixth grader Chloe Donovan, who participates in the district’s SEARCH program.
Huntington’s nine state finals entries qualified through the Long Island regional contest.
Huntington UFSD’s National History Day initiative is spearheaded by high school social studies teacher Lauren Desiderio. J. Taylor Finley Middle School social studies teacher and Yorker Club faculty advisor Jarrad Richter and SEARCH program teacher Jessica Risalvato are also integrally involved in the program. Social studies teachers also work with their students who are participating in the annual competition.