DES MOINES, Iowa — National History Day students from Iowa had a "very good" showing at the national competition in College Park, Md., this year, according to Naomi Ziller, state coordinator of National History Day in Iowa.

When all was said and done, the students returned home June 19 after a week in Maryland three medals, two outstanding prizes, and one special prize richer.

"The students this year just did a phenomenal job of presenting their topics," Ziller said. "Each one was proud to be representing Iowa in this competition against all the other states—competition which, at times, was overwhelming."

The theme for this year’s National History Day competition was "Rights and Responsibilties in History". The three medal winners from Iowa were:

• Stephen Frese, Anson Middle School, Marshalltown; First place, junior individual paper, "Aldo Leopold: An American Prophet." Stephen made use of on-site research while investigating the life and works of conservationist Aldo Leopold. He was able to travel to Baraboo, Wis., in order to get a first-hand look at the Leopold Farm as well as interviewing two of Leopold’s children.
• Matthew Wettach, Mt. Pleasant Middle School; Second Place, junior individual documentary, "Rights and Responsibilities: The New Deal Comes to The Corn Belt." Matthew was able to reach back into his own family history while also examining America’s Depression years in the Corn Belt. Using his great-grandfather’s photographs, Matthew made the New Deal come alive while analyzing the long-term impact of such reforms.
• Denise Wood, Ottumwa High School; Third Place, senior historical paper, "The Right to Work: Charles T. Kelley and His ‘Soldiers of Misfortune’" Denise looked at the little-known topic of Charles T. Kelley and explored the impact it has had on the role of government. While looking at the Depression of 1894, Denise examined the actions of the destitute on the march for reform. "History Day is an amazing experience," Wood said. "You get the opportunity to meet new people, visit new places, and learn new things."

Two groups of students also received outstanding awards:

• Brian Claeys and Emily Green, North Scott HS, Eldridge; Senior Group Documentary, "Jim Crow Must Go: Rosa Parks and the Long Journey from Segregation to Integration." The project also ranked 5th in the nation. Brian and Emily had the unique opportunity to interview Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks. In looking at a difficult time in history, the duo made the emotional events of the Civil Rights Movement and the actions of Ms. Parks unfold through their senior group documentary "The skills I learned and the people I met will help me invaluably for years to come," Claeys said.
• McKenzie Fritch and Cheyanne McGrail, Franklin Middle School, Cedar Rapids; Junior Group Exhibit, "The Time We Forgot Humanity: Shattered Rights and Neglected Responsibilities of the Holocaust." This project earned recognition as 10th in the nation. The pair made use of the Des Moines Holocaust Survivor Project created through Yale University’s Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonials and housed at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines. Using the advice of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and museum exhibit designers, McKenzie and Cheyanne made a very eye-appealing exhibit to help portray this difficult time in history come to life. "NHD has had a wonderful impact on our lives," the duo said. "Not only did it give us an opportunity to work on our first long-term project, but it also greatly advanced our knowledge in Holocaust history. This is a great program and we strongly recommend it to the youth of America."

The "History of the American Presidency" special prize went to David Blume, Adam Hsu, Charli Richter and Scott Walter of Johnston High School for their Senior Group Documentary, "United States vs. Nixon." This prize is awarded to the entry in any category from either the Junior or Senior divisions that best demonstrates the contributions made by an American president in the U.S. or world history. "U.S. vs. Nixon" explores changes in presidential responsibility and the interpretation of executive privilege as a result of the Nixon presidency and impeachment. The students took their topic a step further to explore the case’s constitutionality and its impact on the trails during the Clinton Administration.

"Each of these students should be proud of their accomplishments at the National History Day competition," Ziller said. "The skills they have learned throughout this process will serve them well as they move on in their studies."

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