11 North Shore Students Win National History Day Awards

Eleven North Shore students won individual categories on National History Day and will represent Wisconsin at the national event, June 12-16 at College Park, MD.

National History Day students compete with their peers statewide at junior and senior levels by writing papers, giving performances, building websites, or by creating documentaries or exhibits that reflect an annual theme. This year's theme was "Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences." The Wisconsin Historical Society coordinates the National History Day program in Wisconsin.

The winning students from the area, their schools, their categories of competition, and the titles of their projects are

• Jacob Van Den Heuvel, University School of Milwaukee, Junior Papers, for "The Potsdam Conference."
• Elizabeth Karron, Whitefish Bay High School, Senior Papers, for "Diplomacy for Survival: Successes, Failures, and Consequences of the Menominee Restoration Movement."
• Aleena Numaan and Anna Prising, University School of Milwaukee, Junior Group Exhibits, for "Triangle Fire: Changing the Face of Industrialism."
• Sara Miller, Nicolet High School, Senior Individual Exhibits, for "Golda Meir: Difficult Decisions Prior to the Arab-Israeli War of 1973."
• Julia Veitinger, University School of Milwaukee, Junior Individual Performances, for "Why Really the Moon."
• Rachel Heuer and Alex Heuer, Nicolet High School, Glendale, Senior Group Performances, for "Justice Harry Blackmun: Law and Medicine in Roe v. Wade."
• Sam Schlesinger, University School of Milwaukee, Junior Individual Documentaries, for "The Comic Book Debate of the 1940s and 1950s."
• John Venable and Philip Shuler, University School of Milwaukee, Junior Group Websites, for "Strategic Bombing: Necessary Tactic or War Crime."

The 11 winners from North Shore schools are among 53 Wisconsin students who emerged as national finalists after statewide competition. 

National History Day is a yearlong program that teaches students how to use both primary and secondary sources to conduct historical research. Participation in National History Day continues to grow. All told, 8,500 Wisconsin students and 101 schools statewide participated in the program this year.