Rachel Morina, Mikah Schueller and Isabella Lima captured the Outstanding Senior Entry in Science and Technology Award at this year’s State History Day finals.
The Huntington High School sophomore research trio garnered third place overall in the state in the Group Documentary category for their spectacular 10 minute film on Dr. Frank Field, whose more than half-century TV career is legendary.
“If you had asked me when we first started working on this project what I thought the outcome would be, I would have said that my goal was to make it to the regional level,” Mr. Schueller said. “Now, five months of hard work later, we have surpassed that objective and I am extremely proud of the finished product that we as a group put forth in this competition. I am absolutely thrilled to have made it as far as we did. I would have been fine with knowing that we put our best foot forward in this endeavor, but the accolades that we received are just icing on the cake. I am fortunate that we were given the opportunity to compete alongside other phenomenal projects and to the two entries that bested us in this final leg of the competition, I wish you all the best at the upcoming national level.”
This year’s National History Day theme is “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” Participants in the competition submitted work in a variety of formats from individual and group exhibits and websites to historical papers and individual and group documentaries.
“The trio’s research led to a fascinating documentary, thoroughly aligned with this year’s National History Day theme, that unsurprisingly caught the eyes of state-level adjudicators,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “For those who have not had the chance to view the award-winning effort, please take a few minutes to do so. Congratulations to Isabella, Rachel, Mikah and their teachers on the product and performance! The quality of research projects produced each year in Huntington’s NHD program clearly reflects the individual interests and passions possessed by all participating students and staff members.”
To view the Huntington sophomore’s documentary on Dr. Field click here: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21APYWsbvC6zm0p6A&cid=24EA3AC14A57FCF0&id=24EA3AC14A57FCF0%212116&parId=24EA3AC14A57FCF0%212103&o=OneUp
Dr. Field spent more than 50 years on television in the New York metropolitan area, reporting on health and science topics and providing trusted weather forecasts as one of the most highly regarded meteorologists in the county. He became a household name and was a groundbreaker on the topics he covered and photos he shared. His work carried over into everyday life. For example, he popularized the Heimlich Maneuver, which eventually helped save his own life and also played a key role in requiring multiple fire drills a year at New York schools.
A great-uncle of Ms. Morina, Dr. Field consented to an interview for the Huntington sophomore’s documentary. His voice can be heard during the documentary, which is fascinating in scope.
Dr. Field’s son, Storm Field, himself a well-known TV personality and meteorologist who is also now retired also made himself available for an interview.