ILLINOIS STUDENTS WIN AWARDS AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Several Illinois students received awards during the National History Day competition held June 12 - 16 at the University of Maryland near Washington, D.C.

 

Twelve-year-old Marissa Suchyta's "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN: The Infamous Mistake of the Chicago Tribune" was named the second place winner in Junior Individual Media at the National History Day competition.  The prize includes a $500 cash award.  The seventh grader, who attends Quest Academy in Palatine, researched the topic for the Chicago Metro History Fair, where she earned top honors and advanced to the May 12 Illinois History Expo in Springfield and ultimately National History Day.  In the course of her research, Suchyta interviewed the current editor of the Chicago Tribune, archivists and historians at the Truman Presidential Library, and members of the Truman family. Suchyta also presented her documentary at the White House Visitors Center while attending National History Day.  Her teachers are Balasz Dibuz and Angie Carr.

 

Roosevelt High School (Chicago) senior Aruj Chaudhry earned third place and a $250 prize for her historical paper, "The Tree of Liberty Must Always Be Watered: HUAC and the Stamler-Hall Case in History."   Chaudhry developed a close personal relationship with the woman who inspired her project, Yolanda Hall, who was a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that ended HUAC.  Chaudhry's teacher is Aggie Nowak.

 

Other Illinois students also received recognition at National History Day.  They include:

 

·                     Amelia Wallace, 5^th place in Senior Papers, for "The Chicago Demotic Dictionary Project: Interpreting Ancient Egyptian Written Communications."  Wallace attends Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire; her teacher is Chris Salituro.  The paper explores how the Chicago Demotic Dictionary Project has helped scholars interpret ancient Egyptian texts and understand the lives of ordinary Egyptians and their culture.  Wallace interviewed Janet Johnson, one of the world's foremost scholars on the Demotic language, during her research.  Johnson is founder and director of the Project at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute.

 

·                     Peter Contos' Junior Individual Exhibit titled "Hamlin's Wizard Oil: Patent Medicine Advertising and Federal Regulation" was a finalist. He attends Polymath Academy in Chicago. His teacher is Leslie Contos.

 

·                     Allison Nichols and Sarah Siegel were finalists in the Senior Group Documentary category with their project, "Communicating Peace: Adlai Stevenson and the Cuban Missile Crisis."  The students attend Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, and their teacher is Barry Bradford.

 

·                     Laura Muller- Soppart, Tomas Manghi, Elizabeth May, and Sebastian Prokuski were finalists in the Junior Group Exhibit category for their project, " Leo Burnett: A Voice of Integrity."  The students attend Lincoln Elementary in Chicago.  Their teacher is Ann Patricia Duffy

 

·                     The Outstanding Junior Division State Entry went to Zoe Netter, Charlotte Cook, Eric Jacobson, David Gainski, and Lucy Honold for "Communicating Hatred Legally: The Nazi Clash in Skokie."  The students attend Hawthorne Scholastic Academy in Chicago.  Their teacher is Carlton Oquendo.

 

·                     The Outstanding Senior Division State Entry was awarded to Gian Santos for "Student Anti-Vietnam War Activism: Communicating Dissent."  Santos is an independent scholar from Oak Park.

 

The students were among more than 50 who qualified for National History Day during the Illinois History Exposition held May 12 in Springfield, which brought together the winners from regional history fairs held earlier in the year.  The Illinois History Exposition and this state's participation in National History Day are coordinated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's Educational Services Program and the Chicago Metro History Education Center.