Students Excel at National History Day Regional Competition

Congratulations to all 44 8th grade students from University School of Milwaukee who competed in the National History Day Milwaukee North Regional competition on Saturday, March 8. After two rounds of presentations, interviews, and judging, USM scholars once again dominated the field, earning 23 of the possible 27 spots at the state contest (along with four alternates and a Labor History Award recipient). 

“We are certainly proud of the hard work and talent of all of our students,” said Chuck Taft, 8th grade American studies history teacher. “The NHD process is a team effort, one that stretches throughout the entire USM experience. A special thanks goes out to the many parents and family members who supported the kids at the contest (and the entire process).”

This year’s theme is Rights and Responsibilities in History, inviting students to consider questions like, who decides who has rights? Does everyone have the same rights? What led to establishing certain rights, and to whom were they given? Students conducted historical research using primary and secondary sources, developed and supported nuanced thesis statements, and created projects to communicate their work in one of five categories: historical papers, websites, documentaries, exhibits, or performances. 

Taft, whose students have completed NHD projects for many years, was recently selected as one of 55 educators for the National History Day Researching Silent Heroes webinar series, in coordination with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). 

Special thanks to the parents and family members who supported the students, as well as Elaine Griffin, head of Middle School; Emily Frederick, 8th grade English teacher; and Ivana Rentería, Middle School librarian, for their support.

Qualifiers will compete at the state competition in Madison, Wisconsin on May 3. 

NHD State Qualifiers (8th Grade unless otherwise noted):

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE

State Qualifiers: 
Eden Jordan: Imagine Me
Nora Bosworth: Nancy Harkness Love: Pioneer in Aviation for Women
Kate Abele: The Culper Spy Ring: The Most Successful and Enduring Espionage Network of the Revolutionary War

State Alternate: 
CJ Jacobsen: The Death of Musical Creativity: Music Under Communist Rule

INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY 

State Qualifiers: 
Arden Bloom:  Killing the Indian: The Devastating Truth about the Carlisle Indian Industrial School 
Ayan Iyengar: The Salt March: The March Towards Change
Jack McMahon: After the Storm: The Patriot Act and the Balance Between Security and Liberty

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT

State Qualifiers: 
Aliyah Nwagbaraocha: “Tulsa’s Terrible Tale” - Tulsa Race Massacre 1921
Emma Leske: Parental Music Resource Center: Censorship vs. Artistic Liberty

State Alternate and Labor History Award Winner: 
James Reimer: “The Strike Heard Round the World" - The Flint Sit Down Strike    

INDIVIDUAL PAPER

State Qualifiers: 
Kira Finucane:  The Unknown Injustices of WWII: How Multiple Governments Violated Basic Human Rights
Sophie Kouklin: The 1905 Russian Revolution: A Glimpse of the Glory of Rights
Elliott Boyd: Sacred Waters, Stolen Futures, The Water Crisis In Tribal Lands  

State Alternate: 
Tyler Hickerson: Buying and Selling Hope: The Fair Housing Act of 1968

INDIVIDUAL PAPER - SENIOR DIVISION
State Qualifier: 
Gurleen Ahuja ’26: Love vs. the Law: How Loving v. Virginia Shaped Equal Rights

INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE
State Qualifiers: 
Logan Stanwyck: Disease, Displacement, Destruction: The Klondike Gold Rush and Indigenous Peoples
Aneesha Rao: The Equal Credit Opportunity Act: Equality is Priceless, for Everything Else, Use a Credit Card
Nathan Liberman: When General Grant Expelled the Jews

State Alternate: 
Mae Lilly: Beyond the Battlefield: How Donut Dollies Brought a Touch of Home to the Heart of the Front Lines

GROUP DOCUMENTARY
State Qualifiers: 
Anna Gervais, Bea Fetherston: Denied, Deposed, Deprived: Jewish Athletes in the 1936 Olympics
Toma Edstrom, Peter Tiefenbrun: Wayne Wheeler: King of Prohibition 

GROUP EXHIBIT
State Qualifiers: 
Jude Khitha, Jake Joseph: The G.I. Bill of Rights: - America's Responsibility to Support Veterans
Edie King, Avi Lerner: Ralph Lazo: The Voluntary Prisoner
Landon Tegge, Ewan McGrath: The Cleveland Summit: Setting the Stage for Activist Athletes

GROUP WEBSITE
State Qualifiers: 
Mason McDonald, Kolton Becker: Ali vs. America - “The Match of the Century”
Mila Matera, Nika Shteynbuk: Hope in a Suitcase 

GROUP PERFORMANCE
State Qualifier: 
Ksenija Marich, Katerina Kostopoulos: Man Vs. Iron: The Resistance Against the Tyrannical Minnesota Ranges