Local students advance to National History Day contest

Friday, May 9, 2008

Alex McComb, Plum Point Middle School Calvert County History Day Teacher of the year Colleen Davies, Mill Creek Middle School

By GRETCHEN PHILLIPS

Staff writer

They have proven their success to judges on the county level, then impressed judges at the state level. Now, eight students in Calvert County will take their history projects to the University of Maryland as they have advanced to the National History Day contest.

Students across the nation have participated in local History Day contests with individual and group projects depicting conflict and compromise, this year’s theme.

History Day for Calvert County took place in March at the 18th annual History Fair but students had been preparing months in advance.

Kasey Raines, 14, a student at Plum Point Middle School and National History Day advancer, began working on her project, a documentary titled ‘‘Patent Wars of First in Flight,” over the summer.

She said she chose her topic because of her family vacations in Nags Head, N.C., and often visits Kitty Hawk, where the first flight took off.

Sisters Kelly, 14, and Kara Collins, 12, teamed up for their project, a Web site titled ‘‘Northern Ireland: Overcoming Conflict of Prejudice Through Compromise of Sport.”

The two said family relations to the conflict helped them to decide on their topic. They said they thought working together would be easier but found that group projects are sometimes just as challenging, if not more.

The Collins sisters and Raines are three of six middle school-age students representing Calvert County at the national competition this summer.

Representing high schools are three talented students with three very different topics.

Lauren White, 15, of Huntingtown High School will be presenting a documentary to judges titled ‘‘The Lucky Dragon Incident: A Catalyst to Conflict and Compromise During the Nuclear Age.”

White said she, like Raines, began her project over the summer with a trip out of state to gather information. This year, White traveled to Ohio in search of information on the topic she chose. White said she has advanced to the state and national level on more than one occasion but each time it’s exciting to be a part of it.

For Annalise Kenney, 15, this is the first time she will have advanced to nationals. Her project is a research paper titled ‘‘The Calvert Vision: Religious Tolerance in the Maryland Colony.”

Kenney said she is excited to go on to nationals to meet the judges. She said the judges on the state level ‘‘seemed more interested in the projects,” and she is anxious to talk with those on the national level as she imagines the interest will be greater.

White and Kenney said they were not too nervous and were looking forward to the event.

For teachers, family and friends who supported them on the way, hopes are running high for the participants.

Teacher Carol Dargan said she would have her cell phone ready anxiously awaiting a call to see how her Plum Point students performed at Nationals.

‘‘I am very, very proud,” Dargan said.

The National History Day competition will take place June 15 through 19. at the University of Maryland.