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Issue 1

September 27th, 2019

Students advance to NHD states

SUN. | 04-25-21 | NEWS

SAT. | 10-10-20 | NEWS

      On Friday, Mar. 26, eleven Rose students competed in National History Day and were selected from the virtual regional competition to advance to the state competition. These students competed either individually or in a group to submit a performance-based presentation, documentary, historical paper, historical exhibit or website by Tuesday, Apr. 14 for the state competition. The state competition,
usually held at the Raleigh Museum of Art, will be held virtually due to COVID-19 and the state winners will
be announced on Friday, May 3.

     “National History Day is a competition that’s held by the non-profit organization ... and the purpose is to instill social studies within the curriculums of middle schools and
high schools,” Rose National History Day coordinator Stephanie Noles said. “The program allows students to use a diverse means of skills and research opportunities to tackle a project under that particular theme for the year.”
     Rose students competed against 17 counties in the northeast regional competition with the first, second and third places in each category being given the opportunity to advance to the state competition. 125 Rose projects were submitted to Noles this year and 35 were selected from the total pool to proceed to regionals.
     “They do try to restrict how much information a student gives because they don’t want it to just be a regurgitation of information,” Noles said. “They want you to pick

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Photo by Murphy Fisher

something, specialize in it and know it really well.”

     However, with the virtual competition this year, interviews are no longer required to advance to the state level. Noles recognizes that interviews are usually an area where Rose students excel and may have influenced the decrease in number of Rose students selected compared to previous years. However, she recognizes the change has allowed for growth opportunities within other areas of the competition.
     “I think it’s helped students excel who are really good with graphics; some of the graphics that I saw for the website are really phenomenal,” Noles said. “I think it gave kids the opportunity to express themselves in a lower risk environment because they know they are not getting interviewed.”
     This year, the theme was Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. Seniors Paige Kenerly, Noelle deVente and Brooke Borton chose to complete a virtual exhibit examining yellow journalism in the Spanish American War, placing second in their regional category. Although some felt that the virtual option potentially would hinder the group’s progress, Borton did not feel this to be an obstacle.
     “Communication has been really good between Ms. Noles and all the competitors and deadlines have been set and very clearly communicated,” Borton said. “I have had a really good time doing National History Day this year.”

     Along with new challenges in coordinating and facilitating in a virtual environment National History Day at Rose, Noles feels that this year has posed obstacles in regards to gathering participation as well.
     “The first challenge has been making sure people are aware of it; really asking my department to
publicize it, really announcing it and getting it out there was the first challenge,” Noles said.

     For the past eleven years that Noles has been coordinator, Rose has sent individuals to the national level with some even placing at the national level. Nationals are usually held during the second week in June at the University of Maryland in
College Park. This year, Rose is hoping to continue its streak and attend the virtual national competition in June.
     “In my opinion National History Day is the perfect history project because you get the focus on something that you enjoy within a broad topic,” Noles said. “As a student, you can showcase your ability to think critically and analyze historical events and I think it shows connections from historical events to the modern era.”

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