History Day

[pegkerr]

Fiona spent all day today at the State competition for National History Day. She had competed at her school and at the regional level, so making it to State was a pretty big deal--she didn't get that far last year. She gave me a call partway through the afternoon, excited, to tell me that they had made it past the first round and so had a shot to go to Nationals.

This year's theme was "Triumph and Tragedy." She was on a team that had chosen to do a dramatic presentation about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire disaster. What I think made their presentation particularly good was that they placed it within the context of the strike for better working conditions that happened just before the fire, and how that framed the context of the fire and affected the subsequent trial (where the owners weaseled out with acquitals, and in the subsequent civil suit only had to pay a measly $75 for each of the 146 deceased factory workers).

Anyway, she was very hopeful, and so was subsequently crushed when they didn't win. What particularly made it hard to swallow was that the announcer announced the Honorable Mentions and then said, "And now the remaining teams will be going to Nationals," which meant that they were jumping around with joy--and then the announcer corrected himself, saying, "Oh, sorry, we miscounted and have three more Honorable Mentions to announce"--and then they were called up. Talk about disappointment. She came home, exhausted, and then cried in my arms for almost an hour, poor thing. They had worked so hard, and I felt so badly for her.

But (I must admit) I am also secretly and selfishly rather relieved. I mean, yes, it would have been absolutely fantastic if they could have gone. But Lord--the possibility that she might actually go to Nationals was not even on my radar screen when she left this morning. And we would have somehow had to come up with the money for travel to Washington D.C. in June, which would have been extremely difficult during this period of unemployment.

Still, she's awfully disappointed.

I think she may try again at the High School division level next year.

Comments

[febobe.livejournal.com]

Please, do encourage her to do so. . .I know one of my most rewarding years was the year I did it in high school. I think Triumph and Tragedy was the theme one of my four years that I participated. . . .

My big shock is that your school district doesn't cover the kids. . .that is a crying shame. :( When/where I was in school, our superintendent built into the budge for things like National History Day to be paid for by the school system. He felt no child should have academic opportunities like that limited based on their family's financial situation. I know that for us, it made it possible for me to attend all kinds of things like All-Festival Choir and Governor's Cup and Sweet 16 and such that I suspect Mom and Dad would've had to make some tough choices with me about given the price tag of my chemo and radiation around that time combined with Dad's unemployment due to a tornado taking out his workplace. It's sad that Fiona can't have the same opportunity. . .she seems such a bright and eager young lady. I wish both your girls could have that, and I'm sorry not all school systems provide it.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

It may very well be that the school would cover it--I have no idea, because it hasn't come up before, and I just assumed they didn't. Anyway, it is moot now, alas. Unless she goes with the High School division next year.

Do you remember what you did your project(s) on?

[febobe.livejournal.com]

The year it was Triumph or Tragedy, I did it on the old Central School that had been in town. . .made it as far as state that year.

Another year I did James Meredith: Integrating Ole Miss, and interviewed one of the guardsmen who'd been sent to Ole Miss when he went. Went to state w/that also.

Made it to National with Krieges, a project on German POWs (as in prisoners of the Germans) in WWII, for which I interviewed my great-uncle, who very generously and kindly taped an interview for me and lent me his Purple Heart for my display. Had postmarks from the camps he was in, too.

Also made it to National with Juliette Lowe my freshman year of high school, but opted not to go. . .I can't explain why, except for a feeling I had about it. As it turns out, it may have been a premonition of sorts; my doctors later said that I might well have collapsed had I attempted that competition, considering my condition with the Hodgkin's at that time. . .it hadn't yet been diagnosed, but it was definitely there and compressing my lungs.

Best of luck to her! Here's to the High School division next year. . . . :) And consolations on everything in the meantime. . . .

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lindsay_/]

I loved history fair in middle school and, although I competed in High School, my school wasn't nearly as supportive and my projects suffered as a result. But really, it's such a good way to learn research and also a way to be a REAL historian, to take an angle on historical events and present your hypothesis. I definitely encourage Fiona to continue in the future.

[morganmalfoy.livejournal.com]

dang lindsay beating me to stuff like this. We did a group performance in 8th grade that I bombed, and it wasn't really all that well-researched. In 10th grade my partner and I got third place on the state level, and we had a much more intensively researched and planned performance that year, but we had some friends who did a really, really good job and came in first.

I really like the historical performances because it gives kids a new way to think about and interpret history, a new filter, and is usually more interdisciplinary because they have to look up facts and then also use oral history resources. Keep up the good work!