Nine E.O. Smith students participated in the Connecticut State History Day contest last month. They competed against four hundred students from across the state for a place at the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C. in mid-June.
Over the course of the school year, these students have spent their time researching a historical event of their choosing in relation to this year’s theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History.” Led by AP U.S History teacher Mr. Matt Sivo, students chose between creating a website, paper, documentary, exhibit, or performance to showcase their historical knowledge. Mr. Sivo dedicated his classroom weekly to support students in their creation of a National History Day project, providing them with the opportunity to engage in-depth with a topic they are passionate about, gaining invaluable research, source analysis, time management, and argumentative writing skills. Additionally, if students chose to work in teams, they learned how to effectively communicate, collaborate, and resolve differences between group members.
Freshmen Nana Ama Osei Bonsu, Elif Ozcakar, Isabella Peres, and Andrea Liu created a performance about classism during the prohibition era, focusing on a fictional doctor who prescribed alcohol as a treatment for mental illnesses. Freshman Esme Itsou crafted a website on the MK-Ultra experiment, which was the CIA’s attempt to use LSD to mind control humans during the Cold War. Juniors Kalyani Tihaiya and Mia Chen performed their own work about the fight for Asian American inclusivity in the curriculum of California universities during the 1960s. Finally, seniors Amanda Zadnik and Simonne Thibeault created an exhibit about the use of carrier pigeons to gather intelligence throughout World War II.
The teams of Kalyani and Mia as well as the one of Amanda and Simonne placed first in their respective categories, placing at the National History Day competition together for the third year in a row.
The four students were asked how they felt about the exciting opportunity to represent both their school and their state at the national contest, and reported as follows:
******
******
******
******
In addition to participating in History Day, Amanda and Simonne worked with Mr. Sivo to start an official history club at E.O. Smith this year. Though much of the focus is on creating a History Day Project, the club meets every other week (or weekly during “History Day season”) to play historical trivia, discuss and revise projects, and enjoy the occasional homemade snack. New members are always welcome, or just drop-in for the day! Anyone interested in joining History Club can find or email Mr. Sivo or just stop by room 201 on a Monday afternoon.
Happy History Day everyone!
