National History Day (NHD) is an annual competition where schools compete with projects based on a historical theme. This year’s theme was “Justice and Responsibilities in History.” Students created documentaries, boards, websites, historical papers, presentation performances, or podcasts about an event in history that matched the theme.
Despite the name, History Day, the work that goes into it involves a lot more than a day. History Day project work started back in September when students chose their topic. Each student needs at least thirty sources and must create a documentary, board, website, historical paper, performance, or podcast with their gathered information. Every source needs to be annotated and then put together to make an annotated bibliography. After all the sources have been put together, students must write a process paper that outlines the topic, how it fits the theme, how they found their sources, the process the individual or group went through to make the project, the obstacles they had to overcome while doing the project and how instrumental your instructor’s help was in creating the projects. After all that, students are eligible to enter NHD, where they compete with other students in Tulare County. Winners at this level move on to the state competition and then nationals.
Dinuba High School had thirty-four students qualify to make it to the state competition this year, with five more as alternates to state and twelve students who received scholarships for their hard work. The recipients are :
Category: Senior group performance – Scholarship Recipients, State Finalist
Project title: “History of the CWC: The Tragedies of Chemical Warfare.”
Group members: Santiago Aguilar, Gabriel Puente, Jonathan Rivera, Luciano Rodriguez
Category: Senior Group Podcast – State Finalist
Project title: “Lines That Last: The Enduring Effects of Redlining”
Group members: Angel Meza, Kalen Patel, Jeshua Villareal
Category: Senior Individual Podcast – State Finalist, Honorable Mention, Scholarship Recipient
Project title: “The Physiological Consequences of the Holodomor”
Project by: Magali Villegas
Senior Group Website Design – State Finalist
Project title: “Wealth, Racism & Injustice: The Osage”
Group members: Emily Guzman, Casey Kennerley
Senior group website Design – Alternate for State Competition
Project title: “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo”
Group members: Jessica Fernandez, Anali Jarquin, Paloma Jimenez
Senior group website Design – Scholarship recipients, State finalists
Project title: “Not the Finish Line: The Impact of the ADA on Workplace Equality”
Group members: Alicia Torres, Viviana Delgado, Alexander Reyes
Senior Individual Exhibit – State Finalist
Project title: Margaret Sanger and Birth Control
Project by: Yaritzi Jimenez
Senior Individual Exhibit – State Finalist
Project title: “President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Social Security Act”
Project by: Justin Rodriguez
Senior Individual Exhibit – State Finalist
Project title: “The Illegal Takeover of Hawaii”
Project by: Ryan Florentino
Note: At the showcase, observers noted that Ryan had a personal connection with his topic as he is part Hawaiian and remembers his grandmother telling him stories about the takeover of Hawaii by America.
Senior Individual Exhibit – Alternate for State Competition
Project title: “Women’s Sufferage Movement”
Project by: Isabella Rodriguez
Senior Group Exhibit – Scholarship Recipients, State Finalist
Project title: “Desmond Doss: The Soldier Who Fought Without Fighting”
Group members: Alan “ Goat” Cruz Sanchez, Magnuss Jansbergs
Note: This group chose their topic because they saw the movie Hacksaw Ridge and stated they “felt compelled by his bravery to go on a battlefield without a gun.”
Senior Group Exhibit – State Finalist
Project title: “Reign of Terror”
Group members: Alexandra Cantu, Michelle Moreno
Senior Group Exhibit – State Finalist
Project title: “The Nanjing Massacre: Remembering the Victims, Confronting the Past”
Group members: Maria Avilez, Violeta Diaz, Maria Gutierrez, Addison Yee
Senior Group Exhibit – Alternate For State Competition
Project title: “United Farm Workers (UFW)”
Group members: Alexis Hernandez, Hailey Mora
Senior Individual Exhibit – Scholarship Recipient
Project title: “Martin Luther King Jr.”
Project by: Ayden Mondragonv
Senior Group Documentary – State Finalist
Project title: “Delano’s Strike For Rights”
Group members: Samantha Avila, Evelyn Garcia, Angela Preciado, Elijah Vargas
Note: When asked why they chose this topic, they responded, “There are a lot of farm workers around, and it’s a big agricultural town, so it’s like the history of our people, and it’s a very local event that happened.”
Senior Group Documentary – State Finalist
Project title: “Innocence Behind Barbed Wire: The Unseen Damage of Japanese Internment”
Group members: Miguel Avila, Samantha Gonzalez, Jenna Rodriguez, Marissa Rodriguez
Note: When asked why they chose this topic, they remarked that it “happened locally, and we felt that we should amplify the voices and just tell the story.”
The main teacher who coordinated National History Day this year was history teacher Tracy Teran. When asked about how her students performed, she responded, “It’s been a great experience. I think my favorite part is seeing the journey from beginning to end. I get to see them go through crazy frustrations, but then feel so accomplished when they finally come out the other side.”
While the county competition is over, there is still state and nationals left. Dinuba has never been to nationals for history day, perhaps this is the year Dinuba makes it as there are very impressive submissions this year. Congrats and good luck to everyone who made it to state and received a scholarship!!!
