Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Thursday, April 03, 2008
History Day competition explores conflict, compromise
 Emily Johnsrud of Lincoln Middle school left , helps Taylor Winger of Sota school with her display during the National History Day Regional Competition at UWL Dick Riniker photo |
Al Capone went to Alcatraz. Susan B. Anthony worked for women’s rights. Millions died in the Holocaust. And Martin Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church.
Wednesday, students from Onalaska Middle School talked about what they’d learned while taking part at a National History Day competition.
“If Susan B. Anthony wasn’t alive and did the things she did, we probably wouldn’t be able to go to school or be in this competition,” said Anna Sawicki, 13, who did a project on the women’s rights activist with two classmates. “She took a stand and shows us we’re able to take a stand.”
Their projects were part of the middle and high school competition at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Greg Wegner, a UW-L professor and western Wisconsin regional coordinator for the competition, said the event remains exciting even after 18 years of involvement.
“These students are so vibrant. They learn history in a whole variety of ways,” Wegner said. “They’re on Web sites, in books. They’re interviewing their relatives. Most of us were bored stiff with history class because the only thing that came out of it came out of a text book.”
Student projects examined history through the lens of this year’s theme, “Conflict and Compromise in History.”
Eric Gregor, an eighth-grader at Holmen Middle School, qualified for the state competition for his exhibit, “Enduring Conflict and Compromise: Jackie Robinson Shatters the Color Barrier.”
Gregor’s research, the most extensive he has ever done, included checking out 22 library books and interviewing a local resident who played against Robinson, the first black in the Major League Baseball.
“When he was threatened, he’d always turn the other cheek,” Gregor said of Robinson. “He compromised his overall well-being while shattering the color barrier.”
Dayce McAndrews, a Holmen Middle School teacher, said students found the conflict part of the projects easy to understand, but had a more difficult time finding topics with compromises.
Wegner said he hopes Holmen, Onalaska and Logan high schools join the competition next year.
Joe Orso can be reached at (608) 791-8429 or jorso@lacrossetribune.com.
National History Day
Winners and state qualifiers from National History Day, Western Wisconsin Regionals:
State qualifiers
Junior Historical Papers: Paul Escher, Lincoln Middle School, “Refusal to Compromise: Conflict Stemming from the 1953 American Led Coup in Iran;” Claudia Elvidge, School of Technology and the Arts II, “Women in the Workplace;” Maya Agata, Lincoln Middle, “Truth and Reconciliation: A Compromise to a Conflicted Past.”
Senior Historical Papers: Rachel Conger, Bangor High School, “For the Sake of Divorce: Henry VIII vs. Rome;” Sarah Reigel, Bangor, “Joseph McCarthy: A Manipulation of Fears to Further a Career of Conflicts and Lies;” Lisa Misch, La Crosse Central, “Pauline Cushman: The Conflicts of Her Identity Compromise.”
Junior Individual Performance: Ryan Tripp, Onalaska Middle School, “Conflicts and Compromises of the Cattle Drives;” Tim Olson, Coulee Region Montessori, “Agent Orange;” Vincent Ellis, Longfellow Middle, “Jimi Hendrix.”
Junior Group Performances: Erika Julsrud, Jessica Schumacher, Erin Brenner, Lincoln Middle School, “Salem Witch Trials;” Marissa Bay, Hailla Wagner, Malorie Eimermann, Holmen Middle, “Junk Food;” Morgan Flury, Allie Luz, Jahanna Johnson, Holmen Middle, “Little Rock Nine.”
Senior Individual Performance: Alana Kielly, La Crosse Central High School, “The Conflict of How to Save a Life;”
Senior Group Performance: Desiree Peters, Marlana Parker, Bangor High School, “Forced West for Less.”
Junior Individual Documentaries: Isaac Prichett, Holmen Middle School, “The Navajo Code;” Adelina Yankova, Lincoln Middle, “Oslo Peace Accords: A Compromise of a Country Divided;” Raphaelle Siemers, Lincoln Middle, “Beethoven: The Deaf Composer Beating the Conflict.”
Junior Group Documentaries: Malia Thao, Xae Vang, Shue Shiane Yang, Longfellow Middle School, “Hmong Migration;” Lexi Renk, Ashlee Altobelli, Kaitlin Nottestad, Holmen Middle, “Titanic;” Rachel Seebach, Rachel Sloan, Holmen Middle, “Iditarod: The 1925 Serum Run.”
Senior Individual Documentaries: Brook White, Bangor High School, “Never Forgetting the Ten Commandments: The Conflict Over Their Public Display;” Laticia White, Cochrane-Fountain City High, “Social Insurance for All? Conflicts and Compromises of Creating a Social Security Act;” Samantha Murphy, Cochrane-Fountain City, “The Woman’s Hour Has Struck: Conflicts and Compromises of (Women’s Suffragist) Theodora Youmans.”
Senior Group Documentaries: Savannah Bingham, Becca Erickson, La Crosse Central High School, “Mormon Polygamy and Its Effects in Utah’s Statehood;” Jordan Henrickson, Charlie Moe, Whitehall High, “The Boston Massacre;” Joy Pehler, Annette Foegen, Cochrane-Fountain City, “A Question of Humanity: The Study of Joshua Glover.”
Junior Web sites: Sam Smith, Chase Knudson, Holmen Middle School, “Cuban Missile Crisis;” Allison Jensen, Onalaska Middle, “Martin Luther;” Graeme Sua, Austin Dahl, Chase Thomashide, Holmen Middle, “Brown vs. Board of Education.”
Junior Individual Projects (Exhibits): Eric Gregor, Holmen Middle School, “Enduring Conflict and Compromise: Jackie Robinson Shatters the Color Barrier;” Lexie Felix, School of Technology and Arts II, “The Emancipa-tion Proclamation;” Devon Graham, Coulee Region Montessori, “Building the Panama Canal.”
Junior Group Projects (Exhibits): Alexis Krause, Katlyn Johnson, Myriam Zary, Holmen Middle School, “The Children of Auschwitz;”Jade Steele, Brooke Hansen, Brittany Taylor, Longfellow Middle, “La Crosse Marsh Controversy;” Olivia Davison, Alexander Yocum, Coulee Region Montessori, “The Concrete Curtain: History of the Berlin Wall.”
Senior Individual Projects (Exhibits): Laura Cowan, La Crosse Central High School, “Rwanda Genocide: Internal Conflict, Worldwide Humanitari-an Compromise;” Kelsey Kopp, Whitehall High, “Okinawa: One Marine’s Perspective;” Mitch Voter, La Crosse Central, “The Beginnings of Gang Life in America: Real Gangs of New York in the 1800s.”
Senior Group Projects (Exhibits): Zach Swan, Ben Waniger, Tabby Roh, La Crosse Central High School, “Salem Witch Trials: Conflict and Compromise;” Colin Marklowitz, Jesse Scheel, Cochrane-Fountain City, “Bootleggers and Prohibition: Conflict and Compro-mise in Chicago;” Jacob Greshik, Ben Helwig, Cochrane-Fountain City, “The Iron Brigade Compromises the South’s Ability to Continue the Conflict.”
AWARDS
Labor History Award, Wisconsin State Labor History Society: Junior award — Julie Phillips, West Salem Middle School, “Children in Need: Abolishing Child Labor;” Senior award — Laticia White, Cochrane-Fountain City High, “Social Insurance for All: Conflicts and Compromises in Creating a Social Security Act.”
Women’s History Award, UW-L women, gender and sexuality studies department: Junior Award — Marina Dvorak, Holmen Middle School, “All-American Girls Baseball League: Conflicts-Compromises Made to Gain Respect for Women Athletes;” senior award — Samantha Murphy, Cochrane-Fountain City High, “The Woman’s Hour Has Struck: Conflicts and Compromises of (the Wisconsin suffragist) Theodora Youmans;” honorable mention, junior — Maia Fay Noll, Three Rivers School, “Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Her Struggle for Gender Equality;” senior — Molly Hundt and Mackenzie Ross, Bangor High School, “Women and Clothing: Seeking Compromise Over Social Conflict.”
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