(Posted April 9, 2007)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Students with interests in history ranging from war to peaceful disobedience from 19 area middle and high schools competed Wednesday, April 4 in the 22nd annual District History Day, held at Juniata College in Huntingdon.
First- through third-place finishers were announced in two divisions -- the junior division for grades six through eight, and the senior division for students in grades nine through 12. Each student prepared projects in keeping with this year's theme: "Triumph and Tragedy in History." The state final competition will be held at Penn State University, May 16 and 17 and the national finals will take place June 11 to 15, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md.
Students competed in seven categories: Historical paper (1,500-2,500 words, individuals only); individual exhibit; group exhibit; individual performance (such as short plays or interpretive readings); group performance; documentaries; and group documentaries.
Participating schools were: Bedford High School; Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School; Huntingdon Area High School; Huntingdon Area Middle School; Juniata Valley Junior and Senior High School; Lewistown Middle School; Lewistown Area High School; Middleburg High School; Mount Nittany Middle School; Phillipsburg-Osceola Senior High School; Selinsgrove Area High School; Shikellamy High School; Spring Cove Middle School; Southern Huntingdon County High School; State College Area High School; Tyrone Area Middle and High School; and West Snyder Middle School. Several home-schooled students also competed.
Juniata College students studying in history, politics, secondary education, social studies, business, psychology and other programs served as judges for the competition. The Local History senior division prize was awarded to Sarah Findeis, Rachel Petkac and Itha Cao, State College Area High School, for "Spirits Almost as Strong as Steel: The Homestead Riots." The local history junior division prize went to "Tillie Pierce: A Young Heroine of Gettysburg," individual exhibit, Sarah Boonie, 8th grade, West Snyder Middle School. Full Results Pennsylvania District History Day, 2007 Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa. April 4, 2007 "Triumph and Tragedy in History" I. Historical Paper Senior Division First Place: "Votes for Women," Rebecca Babe, Tyrone Area High School. Junior Division First Place: "The Lost Colony of Roanoke," Anna Laura Kelsey, West Snyder Middle School. Second Place: "Why Don't You Study Medicine?" Hannah Lugg, Home School. Third Place: "The Effects of Fast Food on the U.S.," Anthony Pinter, Hollidaysburg Area Junior School. II. Individual Exhibits Senior Division First Place: "Louis Pasteur," Amanda Casteel, Bedford Area High School. Second Place: "History of the Horseshoe Curve," Rebecca Cresswell, Juniata Valley Junior/Senior High School. Third Place: "The Nuremburg Trials," Taylor McComell, Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School. Junior Division First Place: "Jack the Ripper," Matthew Tilkens, West Snyder Middle School. Second Place: "Battle of the Bulge," Andrew Brumbaugh, Spring Cove Middle School. Third Place: "Oskar Schindler," Jenna Carpenter, West Snyder Middle School. III. Group Exhibits Senior Division First Place: "The Median Between Two Differences," Bryndee Nolder, Brittany Herr, Katie Stuck, Selinsgrove Area High School. Second Place: "The Skinny on Barbie," Crystal Waite, Ashton Snyder, Salena Bradigan, Tyrone Area High School. Third Place: "Spirits Almost as Strong as Steel: The Homestead Riots," Sarah Findeis, Rachael Petkac, Itha Cao, State College Area High School. Junior Division First Place: "Victorious Vaccine," Jacqueline McCreary, Kayla Snowberger, Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School. Second Place: "The Titanic," Rachel Fry, Alexa Hepner, Spring Cove Middle School. Third Place: "The Titanic," Madison Amspacker, James Weber, Stevi Stimely, Clarissa Adams, Jon McKee, Strodes Mills Middle School. IV. Individual Performance Senior Division First Place: "Se ha Muerto un Slavador: The CIA's Covert Action in Chile and the Death of Salvador Allende," Olivia Grugan, Home School. Second Place: "The Life of Queen Elizabeth I," Meghan Hall, Juniata Valley Junior/Senior High School. Third Place: "Rosa Parks," Erin Bark, Juniata Valley Junior/Senior High School Junior Division No awards given. V. Group Performance Senior Division First Place: "Frida Kahlo: Canvas of Triumph," Ruth Trego, Nicole Ritschel, Kalyn Deans, Blake Kimney, Shikellamy High School. Second Place: "The Legacy of Gettysburg," Rachel Bingaman, Lauren Rambo, Selinsgrove Area High School. Third Place: "Phoenix From the Ashes," Fiona Grugan, Erin Goodall, Juniata Valley Junior/Senior High School. Junior Division First Place: "Immigrant Labor," Kieryn Ziegler, Joseph Denby, Henry Ziegler, Audrey Kreiser, Mount Nittany Middle School. Second Place: "Women's Suffrage," Stephanie Ross, Adrienne Ballreich, Kelsey Martin, Sara Nead, Huntingdon Area Middle School. Third Place: "A Triumph for Humanity: Rescuers During the Holocaust," Teresa Donnellan, Claire Domico, Anna Gilpatrick, Madeline Lusk, Glenn Behnken, Mount Nittany Middle School. VI. Individual Documentary Senior Division First Place: "Doctors Without Borders Facing Tragedy Worldwide: Triumph in South Africa," Colleen King, Selinsgrove Area High School Second Place: "The American Railway Union and a Pullman Rail Tragedy," Dustin Williams, Bedford Area High School. Junior Division No awards were given. VII. Group Documentary Senior Division First Place: "The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire," Alexa Benner, Kelley Bohm, Larissa Reggia, Christiana Paradis, Selinsgrove Area High School. Second Place: "Evita: The Cinderella of Argentina," Elaine Koontz, Alysa Conway, Phillipsburg-Osceola High School. Third Place: "Triumph and Tragedy of Zoos Through the Ages," Lindsey Coval, Morgan Johns, Kathryn Ritter, Philipsburg-Osceola High School. Junior Division First Place: "Remembering Slavery in the 21st Century," Meg Egan, Nora Adams, Mount Nittany Middle School. Second Place: "Amelia Earhart," Emma Santos, Samantha Smeltzer, Sara Smeltzer, Huntingdon Area Middle School. Third Place: "Johnstown Flood of 1889," Nick Marter, Dylan Gutshall, Alex Miller, Chris Shope, Huntingdon Area Middle School. VII. Local History Award Senior Division "Spirits Almost as Strong as Steel: The Homestead Riots," group exhibits, Sarah Findeis, Rachel Petkac, Itha Cao, State College Area High School. Junior Division "Tillie Pierce: A Young Heroine of Gettysburg," individual exhibit, Sarah Boonie, West Snyder Middle School.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.