(Posted April 7, 2003)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Past events are big news at Juniata College this week as hundreds of students from 13 middle and high schools throughout central Pennsylvania competed Wednesday, April 2 in the 18th annual District History Day, held at Juniata College in Huntingdon.

First- through third-place finishers were announced in two divisions - the junior division for students in grades six through eight and the senior division for students in grades nine through 12. This year's History Day finals will be held in May at Penn State University with the national competition planned for June 15-19 in College Park, Md. at the University of Maryland.

Students can compete in any of seven categories: Historical paper (1,500-2,500 words, individuals only); individual project (displays containing maps, charts, models and more); group projects; individual performance (such as short plays or interpretive readings); group performance; documentaries; and group documentaries. The top local history project will receive a special award at the awards ceremony. The theme of this year's competition was "Rights and Responsibilities in History."


Participating schools are: Bedford Area Middle School; Huntingdon Area High School; Huntingdon Area Middle School; Indian Valley High School; Lewistown Area Middle School; Lewistown Area High School; Mount Nittany Middle School; Park Forest Middle School; Selinsgrove Area High School; Selinsgrove Area Middle School; State College Area High School; Tyrone Area High School; and Tyrone Area Middle School.

Juniata College students served as judges at Wednesday's District History Day. The top finishers in each category are attached. Awards were presented in Alumni Hall in the Brumbaugh Science Center.

The Local History senior division prize was awarded to the group documentary "The REMTECH Story," by Jennifer Peeler and Liza James, Selinsgrove Area High School freshmen, and "Rights, Race and Redemption: The Christiana Resistance," by Maria Browne, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.


Full Results
Pennsylvania District History Day, 2003
Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa.
April 2, 2003
"Rights and Responsibilities in History"

I. Historical Paper
Senior Division

First Place: "The Right and Responsibility to be a Speaking Subject: Democratic Process Disproving the Final Solution," Peter Rousseu, freshman, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Second Place: "Eviction of Federal Landlords: The Sagebrush Rebellions," Caitlin Hanlon, senior, Huntingdon Area High School.

Third Place: "The Crimes of Stalin: Rights and Responsibilities in the Soviet Union," Larisa Heiphetz, junior, State College Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "The Rights and Responsibilities of a King: The Abdication of Edward VIII," Alison Hudson, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Second Place: "The Tools of a Monster: Rights and Responsibilities of the Hitler-Jugend" William Cawthern, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Third Place: "Facing the Opposition: Prudence Crandall's Stance on Education Rights for African-Americans," Laura Gabrovsek, 7th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School

II. Individual Exhibits
Senior Division

First Place: "The Preservation of the Natural Habitat of the Spotted Owls Versus the Economic Rights and Responsibilities of the Logging Industries in the Northwestern United States," Sara Kearns, junior, Huntingdon Area High School.

Second Place: "The Rights and Responsibilities of Civil War Captors and Prisoners," Benjamin Detwiler, freshman, Indian Valley High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "The U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and Responsibilities," Kunal Vakharia, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Second Place: "Reaffirming Rights, Resolving Responsibilities: The Nuremburg War Crime Trials," Cecilia Gingerich, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Third Place: "Harry Truman and the Atomic Bomb," Brian Clites, 8th grade, Bedford Area Middle School

III. Group Exhibits
Senior Division

First Place: "The Responsibility of Propoganda is to be Pro-Government," 9th grade, Kristen Gurekovich, Kairann Isenberg, Casey Miller, Chastitee Novak, Tyrone Area High School.

Second Place: "Cleaning Up the Vietnam War," 9th grade, Sarah DeSantis, Glynnis Baker, Amanda Wagner, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Third Place: "Watergate Scandal," 10th grade, Arjun Srivastava, Christopher DeSantis, Juhee Srivastava, Michael Watson, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "Rights and Responsibilities in the Coal-Mining Industry," 7th grade, Rachel Petkac, Itha Cao, Park Forest Middle School.

Second Place: "Reparations: The Right to Compensation for Slavery," 8th grade, Elizabeth Thomas, Sara Boyer, Wade Branstetter, Robert Gherrity, Alexis Pazmino, Tyrone Area Middle School.

Third Place: "New York City Draft Riots: Were the Rights of the Poor Being Infringed?" 7th grade, Mike Moore, Chelsea Brockett, Clayton Hoover, Alexis Murray, Tyrone Area Middle School.

IV. Individual Performance
Senior Division

First Place: "Project Pedro Pan: The Immigration of Cuban Children and the Rights and Responsibilities of the Children and the Government," Deborah Zeger, freshman, State College Area High School.

Second Place: "Fur in Fashion," Ellen Barnhart, freshman, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "The Right to Fight: The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts," Bill Van Saun, 7th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Second Place: "Right to Know, Responsibility to Protect: Rachel Carson," Abla Eser, 7th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Third Place: "Anthony Burns: Rights on Trial, Responsibilities to the Enslaved," Itamar Grunfeld, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

V. Group Performance
Senior Division

First Place: "The First Ladies Throughout American History," freshmen, Julie Baugher, Alexandra Muolo, Courtney Robinson, Katy Yavorek, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Second Place: "The 19th Amendment," freshmen, Danielle Kiess, Heather Aurand, Wittney Ferguson, Amanda Foulds, Dane Reggia, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Third Place: "A Courageous Choice: Conscientious Objectors of the Vietnam Era," seniors, Erica Rhodes, Luci Condon, Amanda Dudley, Huntingdon Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place (tie): "The Peasant's War in Germany, 1524-1525," 6th grade, Pauline Holdsworth, Rebekah Cordell, Mount Nittany Middle School.

"The Rights to Refuge: The Voyage of the St. Louis," 7th grade, Molly Kozminsky, Rosa Frank, Madison Mock, Mount Nittany Middle School

Second Place: "Underground Railroad: Rights and Responsibilities," 8th grade, Amy Cassot, Jessica Hark, Stacie Keith, Eileen Xiao, Huntingdon Area Middle School.

VI. Individual Documentary
Senior Division

First Place: "Rights and Responsibilities -- Coal Miners and Their Bosses," Ryan Drzewiecki, freshman, Selinsgrove Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "A Fiery Clash of Rights and Responsibilities: John Brown and His Raid on Harper's Ferry," Vivek Agarwalai, 7th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Second Place: "Rights, Race and Redemption: The Christiana Resistance," Maria Browne, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Third Place: "Binding Hands and Saving Lands: Coal Surface Mining in Pennsylvania," Karen Alley, 7th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

VII. Group Documentary
Senior Division

First Place: "The REMTECH Story," freshmen, Jennifer Peeler, Liza James, Selinsgrove Area Area High School.

Second Place: "The Red Witch Hunt: The Story of the Hollywood Ten," freshmen, Emma Bennett, Max Rietman, Huntingdon Area High School

Third Place: "Rights and Responsibilities of Land-Grant Colleges," sophomores, Walter Weiss, David Gibbons, State College Area High School.

Junior Division

First Place: "Title IX," 8th grade, Greta Gibboney, Kristen Hurley, Ellen Madden, Janelle Smith, Huntingdon Area Middle School.

VII. Local History Award
Senior Division

"The REMTECH Story," freshmen, Jennifer Peeler, Liza James, Selinsgrove Area Area High School.

Junior Division

"Rights, Race and Redemption: The Christiana Resistance," Maria Browne, 8th grade, Mount Nittany Middle School.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.