A program from the past has made a comeback, and two Pulaski County students will now take a trip to Richmond due to their exceptional performances in the event.
History Day originally occurred in Pulaski County Public Schools from 1990 to 2007 under the leadership of Mr. Bill Atwood. During that time, students from Pulaski Middle School did well with one student finishing seventh in the nation in 1996. That project, which was about coal mining, was presented by Joshua Stoker. That same year, Mr. Atwood was named the Virginia History Day Teacher of the Year.
After a brief hiatus, Mrs. Roxanne Souma revived the program at Pulaski County High School from 2014-2017. Students competed at the district, state and national level during those years. The last time a Pulaski County student competed at the high school level was 2016.
The program is now back, under the leadership of Mrs. Penny Lane at Pulaski County Middle School, and 12 Pulaski County students took part in the District 3 History Day competition March 18 at Radford University, submitting seven projects for review. From those 12 students, two will now advance to the state level competition.
Roland Thompson, a fourth-grade student at Snowville Elementary School, earned first place in the Youth Individual Exhibit Board category with his exhibit titled, “Will Liberty Get to Enlighten the World?” That display was about Joseph Pulitzer and the crowdfunding effort to pay for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal titled “Debate and Diplomacy over Funding the Statue of Liberty.”
Elementary School students have been able to participate in History Day since 2019. This year is the first year Pulaski County students have competed at this level. In Virginia, students in grades 4-12 are eligible to compete in Virginia History Day.
Heather Holman, an eighth-grader at Pulaski County Middle School, placed third in the Junior Individual Exhibit Board category with her exhibit titled, “Where Did the Eagles Go?” It concerned the use of DDT and farmers killing eagles that were attacking farm animals, and a law, known as the Lacey Act, that was amended in 1962 to protect the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle.
Other Pulaski County students who attended the event to compete were Addison Dean, Victoria Hale, Carlie Hamblin, Maely Howlett, Elise Kirtner, Kasch Morrell, Ellie Peterson, Addison Puckett, Logan Wright, and Matthias Wright. All of these students are from Pulaski County Middle School.
There are eight districts that compete in this event across the Commonwealth. Pulaski County students compete in this event as a part of District 3, which includes Alleghany, Botetourt, Covington, Craig, Danville, Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Radford, Roanoke and Salem.
Students who finish in the top three in each category move on to the state competition. There are different categories available for students to pick from, including Exhibit Boards, Documentaries, Websites, Papers, and Performances.
National History Day (NHD) is a nonprofit education organization established in 1974 with over half a million students participating around the world annually.
Each year, the National History Day committee selects a theme that students center their research around. For 2022, the theme is “Debate and Diplomacy: Success, Failures, Consequences.”
Projects are scored based on Historical Quality and Clarity of Presentation. Projects include extensive research in both primary and secondary sources. For most students, it takes all year to prepare for the competition.
Students who place high enough at the state level can move on to the national competition.
The 2022 VHD State Contest will be held in-person at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond Saturday, April 23, for the Elementary and Junior Divisions. High school students will compete Sunday, April 24, in the Senior Division.