Tyrone students from seventh to twelfth grade participated in the annual National History Day (NHD) competition at Tyrone Area High School on January 30, 2015.

Each year, more than half a million students nationwide participate in the NHD contest.

In this academic competition, students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites.

This year’s theme is Leadership & Legacy in History.

Students in Mr. Todd Cammarata and Mrs. Suzy Burket’s high school social studies classes took a field trip to Pattee and Paterno Libraries at the Penn State main campus to do research in one of the largest research libraries in the United States.

After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students present their work in the form of original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries.

These products are entered into the local competition where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.

Students at the local competition were evaluated by history students from Mount Aloysius and other volunteers from the community.

After the competition school-wide, three projects from each group move on to the regional level which will take place at Indiana University of Pennsylvania on March 27.

Sophomore Paige Umholtz, winner of the group documentary category, said “We were really happy with being able to participate in the National History Day competition this year. We still have a lot of work to do before Regionals at IUP though.”

“I am looking forward to competing at the regional level once more, its a great experience and is a lot of fun,” said sophomore Nathan Hormell, winner in the group documentary category.

Those who win at the regional level will move on to the state division taking place on May 12th and 13th.

The program culminates each year at the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.  Last year Tyrone freshman Chloe Makdad was the first Tyrone student to ever make it to the national competition level.

The 2015 local high school winners were as follows:

Papers:

1.) Emily Beam – Alice Paul

2.) Erika Voyzey – Louis Zamperini

3.) Chloe Makdad – Fritz Haber

Individual Exhibits: 

1.) Grayson Putt – Bedford Springs

2.) Dylan Thomas – Michael Jordan

Group Exhibits: 

1.) Noah Welsh, Gary Weaver and Austin Shuey – Woodstock

2.) Emily Fusco, Mackenzie Johnson, and Hailey Weyer – Anne Frank

3.) Colby Pannebaker and Michael Cherry – The Bielski Brothers

Group Websites:

1.) Mikayla Stroup and Michelann Stroup – Susan B. Anthony

2.) Sage Dixon and Taylor Dixon – Clara Barton

3.) Michael Lewis, Levi Railing, and Jack Murtaugh – Branch Rickey and Wendell Smith

Individual Websites: 

1.) Taylor Hoover – Mother Teresa

2.) Kyle Plummer – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Performance:

Molly Harris – Andrew Lloyd Webber

Group Documentary:

1.) Paige Umholtz, Olivia Bietz, and Kasey Engle – Alan Turing

2.) Nathan Hormell and Kenny McKernan – Steven Spielberg

3.) Hailey Durbin, Cassie Friday, and Kendall Gardner – Pixar Animations

Individual Documentary:

1) Erin McKenna – Clara Barton

2) Haley Butina – Stephen Hawking