2022 History Day Results

2022 Theme: Debate and diplomacy in history

District 6 History Day Contest

District 6 Students Achieve Success at the National History Day Competition

The 2022 National History Day competition was held virtually again this year. Several students from Michigan’s District 6 placed in the top 10 and others placed in the top 20 or top 30. Western Michigan University’s History Department sponsors the District 6 competition each year in March. Students qualify for the state competition by placing in the top 3 in the district competition. Students in the junior (middle school) and senior (high school) categories qualify for the national competition by placing in the top 2 at state.

In the senior group performance category, Hannah Hysell, Josephine Marsh, and Mary Catherine Riley from Our Lady of the Lake Catholic High School in St. Joseph finished second in the nation. Their performance was titled “San Antonio ISD v. Rodriguez: Shaping the Future of Public Education.”

In the junior group website category, Connor DeVries, Hailey DeVries, Nicholas DeVries, Lydia Nieuwenhuis, and Cali VanDyke from Providence Christian School in Kalamazoo finished sixth in the nation. Their website was “The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Diplomatic Tightrope.”

Myles Daugherty and Nic Sheppard from South Haven High School finished in the top 20 in the nation with their senior group exhibit titled “Debate and Diplomacy: The Acquisition and Creation of the Panama Canal.” Their exhibit was selected to represent Michigan at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Exhibit Showcase.

Victoria Moody from South Haven High School finished in the top 30 in the nation with her junior individual performance titled “Big Annie: Leading the Way in Copper Country.”

Congratulations to all the students and teachers who competed at the national competition.

State Winners and National Qualifiers

State results are in bold

Documentary

Youth Group:

• “Women’s Suffrage,” Roxy Barr, Hannah Barry, Navya Bobba, Isabella Foley, Lucy Sikkema—The Gagie School (1^st place)
• “Parading for Justice in Copper Country,” Hadley Spencer, Ireland Stratton—North Shore Elementary (2^nd place) (The Elly Peterson Award for Michigan Women’s History)
• “Jackie Robinson: Stealing Bases and Breaking the Color Barrier,” Savannah Harrington, Moneo Wozniak—North Shore Elementary (3^rd place) (Best entry in African-American History)

Junior Group:

• “The Berlin Wall,” Sarah Hudson, Chloe Nellenbach, Leah Smith, Tori Smith—The Gagie School (National Finalist)
• “Fighting for the Right to Learn: The Education Act of 1972,” Kiersten Chalupa, Jocie Dubbink—Baseline Middle School
• “Child Labor,” Charlotte Harper, Eisley Park—The Gagie School

Junior Individual:

• “The Treaty of Versailles: A Massive Diplomatic Oversight,” Jacob Kaczmarek—Baseline Middle School (National Alternate)

Senior Group:

• “Radium Girls: Illuminating the Truth of America’s Death Cure,” Lauren Bartlett, Lauryn Daugherty, Tessa Hosier—South Haven High School (The Elly Peterson Award for Michigan Women’s History)
• “The Rosenberg Trials: The Climax of the Red Scare,” Hazel Hysell, Isabelle Schrauben—Lake Michigan Catholic High School (National Alternate)
• “Hamilton and Burr: The Duel that Shaped American Political Disputes,” Andrew Deem, Layton Dennis, Elijah Fenstermaker, Ezekiel Fenstermaker—Heritage Christian Academy (National Finalist)

Senior Individual:

• “Mamie Till: ‘The Whole World Needs to See,’” Tabi Newberry—South Haven High School

Exhibit

Youth Group:

• “Tuskegee Airmen,” Julian Bunka, Evan Perski, John Hudson, Liam Oostveen, Bowie Clark—The Gagie School (First Place)

Youth Individual:

• “Susan la Flesche Picotte: From the Reservation to the Doctor’s Office,” Hannah Weber—North Shore Elementary (First Place) (Best Use of Economic History or Impact)

Junior Group:

• “The March on Washington: Paving the Way for Justice and Equality,” Karli Dechnik, Gabby Liggett—The Gagie School (National Finalist)
• “Women’s Right to Vote,” Addison Timmer, Drew Olney—Baseline Middle School
• “Seneca Falls Convention,” Mia Crotty, Reese Matzka, Liv Howard, Alivia Allman—The Gagie School

Junior Individual:

• “Night of Terror: Debate and Diplomacy in the Suffragettes’ Movement to Gain Equal Rights,” Gertrude Hermann-Wilmarth—Kazoo School
• “The Barbary Wars,” Sam Edmonds—The Gagie School (National Finalist)
• “Gandhi Shakes the World: The Story of the Salt March,” Mina Boekestein—Providence Christian Academy

Senior Group:

• “The Acquisition and Creation of the Panama Canal,” Nic Sheppard, Myles Daugherty—South Haven High School (National Finalist) (Best Entry in Use of Newspapers)
• “September 11, 2001,” Molly Kramer, Maddie Houtman, Ethan Davis—Heritage Christian Academy (National Alternate)
• “Henry Box Brown,” Lena Miner, Paige Pawell, Elise Wylie—Heritage Christian Academy

Paper

Junior:

• “The Great Auto Strike of General Motors in 1945-1946,” Giavanna Munafo—Lake Michigan Catholic High School
• “Looks Not Brains: The Lasting Effects of the Kennedy-Nixon Debates,” Robbie Frank—Lake Michigan Catholic High School

Performance

Youth Group:

• “Traveling the Road to Freedom,” Yaretzi Carrillo, Alaja Cannady—North Shore Elementary (Second Place)
• “Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony,” Loralye Chmiel, Grace Gagie—The Gagie School
• “Prohibition,” Tessa Hesling, Henry Dozeman, Oliver Sparling—The Gagie School (First Place)

Junior Group:

• “Order in the Court!: Debate over Same Sex Marriage in America,” Ruby Peterson, Leah Becker—Baseline Middle School
• “Women’s Suffrage,” Tomiris Sagintayeva, Lily Ray, Helen Sweetland—The Gagie School
• “The Room Where It Happened: The Paris Peace Conference,” Lucila Drelles, Patrick Marks, Maisy Newton, Aurora Quinn—The Gagie School (National Alternate)

Junior Individual:

• “Cuban Missile Crisis,” Koben Panse—The Gagie School (National Finalist)
• “Big Annie: Leading the Way in Copper Country,” Victoria Moody—Baseline Middle School (National Finalist)

Senior Group:

• “San Antonio ISD v. Rodriguez: Shaping the Future of Education,” Josephine Marsh, Mary Catherine Riley, Hannah Hysell—Lake Michigan Catholic High School (National Finalist)

Website

Youth Group:

• “Treaty of Versailles: A Failed Attempt at World Peace,” Alexander Glista, Ian Anderson—The Gagie School (First Place) (Best Entry in Use of Primary Sources)

Junior Group:

• “When Diplomacy Fails, A Rivalry Begins: The “Great” Toledo War,” Oliver Anderson, Ian Wesselhoff, Hendrix Tapper—The Gagie School
• “Cuban Missile Crisis: Diplomatic Tightrope,” Hailey DeVries, Lydia Nieuwenhuis, Nicholas DeVries, Connor DeVries, Cali Van Dyke—Providence Christian Academy (National Finalist)
• “War of the Currents,” Aribel Mills, Elliana Cornell, William Boston, Benjamin Jolley—Lake Michigan Catholic

Junior Individual:

• “Alcohol v. Temperance,” Sophie Amberg—The Gagie School

Senior Group:

• “The Hindenburg Disaster,” Carter Barker, Josh Beck—Heritage Christian Academy (National Finalist)

Senior Individual:

• “The Discussions and Outcomes of the Tenerife Crisis,” Sahiti Sushmitha—St. Joseph High School