March 12, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Derek Rayment
Public + Media Relations Manager
531-MCC-2876, office
402-960-0697, mobile
darayment@mccneb.edu
mccneb.edu
National History Day district winners announced
OMAHA, Neb. — Nearly 300 students competed in the annual district National History Day event, hosted by Metropolitan Community College on the South Omaha Campus on March 6.
Students in sixth through twelfth grade showcased an instance in history that related to the year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers in History,” through one of the five categories: papers, documentaries, websites, exhibits and performances, as individuals or in groups.
Winners were announced at an award ceremony following competition. District winners advance to the state competition at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. The following students were announced as winners:
Junior Group Documentary
First place: “Mergens v. Westside Community Schools: Opening the Doors to Religious Freedom in Public Schools” by Amy Oltman and Amanda McElwain, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Second place: “The Journey: The Story of the 1999 Women's World Cup Team” by MaryRose Bartek-Miller and Ann Carlson, St. Margaret Mary School
Third place: “The Life and Legacy of an Unknown Leader: Oliver Tambo
Against the Apartheid” by Quinten Murray and Eva Philippi, Ralston Middle School
Fourth place: “Title IX and Important Women in Sports History” by Kaylynn Prugger and Avery Klusmire, Platteview Central Junior High School
Junior Group Exhibit
First place: “Janet Guthrie: Racing Through the Glass Ceiling” by Jaclyn Johnson, Dylen Ritchey and Aiden Conaway, Ralston Middle School
Second place: “Americans with Disabilities Act” by Hudson Palu and Hattie Moeller, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Third place: “the Adventures of Ann Bancroft” by Nell Farrington and Lilia Howard, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Fourth place: “Women of NASA” by Sarah Spomer and Rudy Titus, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Junior Group Performance
First place: “Johannes Gutenberg’s Press Press” by Wilson Geiler and Jaxon Drew, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Second place: “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart” by Haley Mattox and Nora Friesen, Elkhorn Valley View Middle School
Junior Group Website
First place: “Light and Color: How Claude Monet Changed the Art World” by Cassidy Culjat and Shelby Stephens, Ralston Middle School
Second place: “Malcolm X: Different Man, Different Future” by Ireland Muhlecke, Allison Schanbacher, Elom Attiogbe and Jessika Longacre, Ralston Middle School
Third place: “Lovings Fight to Break Interracial Barriers” by Iman Pearson and Sean Mathews, Ralston Middle School
Fourth place: “Aviation” by Aiden Harvey and Ethan Rand, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Junior Individual Documentary
First place: “Women in Aviation” by Sasha Denenberg, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Second place: “From Rags to Riches: The Athletes of North Omaha” by Cameron Willits, Ralston Middle School
Third place: “Walt Disney’s Change in Animation” by Callahan Hernandez, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Fourth place: “Tammie Jo Shults in the U.S. Navy” by Rocco Cerasoli, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Junior Individual Exhibit
First place: “Women of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Breaking Barriers in History” by Lauren Heser, St. Robert Bellarmine School
Second place: “Navajo Code Talkers: Breaking the Barrier of Communication in WWII” by Lauren Buban, Westside Middle School
Third place: “Chief Standing Bear: From Tears to Triumph” by Ella Sater, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Fourth place: “Stonewall” by Ronald Jones, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Junior Individual Paper
First place: “Florence Nightingale: Shattering the Barriers of Uncleanliness, and Family and Social Disgrace” by Izzie Santo, Westside Middle School
Second place: “Knight Fall: The End of the Cavalry’s Dominance” by Ruben James, St. Margaret Mary School
Third place: Roe v. Wade: A Controversial Case of Women's Reproductive Rights” by Lydia Langfeldt, Ralston Middle School
Fourth place: “Bob Ross” by Lizzy Linder, Bellevue Mission Middle School
Junior Individual Performance
First place: “Rita Levi Montalcini: Breaking Barriers to Discover the Nerve Growth Factor” by Olivia Van Lancker, Ralston Middle School
Second place: “Madame Physicist: The Woman Behind Radium” by Lauren Vertuli, Platteview Central Junior High School
Third place: “Breaking Barriers in Religious Liberty” by Maria Nero, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Junior Individual Website
First place: “Margaret Sanger: The Development of the Pill” by Naala Sorrell, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Second place: “Faster Than A Speeding Bullet: The SR-71 Breaking Barriers in History” by Ian Petrick, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Third place: “Katherine Johnson” by Amy Fischer, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Fourth place: “Women in the U.S. Military” by Maria Sully, St. Cecilia Cathedral School
Senior Group Documentary
First place: “First Impressions: The Type of Story You Wouldn’t Expect” by Josephine Browning and Maysa McCormick, Mercy High School
Second place: “Momentous Memes” by Grace Larson and Danielle Stolze, Mercy High School
Senior Group Exhibit
First place: “The Little Rock Nine” by Ellee Houghtaling and Sam Burns, Mercy High School
Second place: “The Breakthrough of Fingerprinting” by Clare Euteneuer and McKenzie Moore, Mercy High School
Third place: “Can You Still Hear the Birds?” by Josie Pellerito and Karina Rief, Mercy High School
Fourth place: “Period. End of Story.” By Marielle Macdonald and Lilee Surdell, Mercy High School
Senior Group Performance
First place: “The New Colossus” by Kateri Pantoja, Clara Jones and Molly Vankat, Mercy High School
Senior Individual Documentary
First place: “New Sports Introduced to the Olympics” by Lindseu Wessling, Mercy High School
Second place: “The Underground Railroad” by Cord Benesch, Ralston High School
Third place: “Jordan and Nike Broke Boundaries in the Sneaker World” by Garrett Riley, Omaha North Magnet High School
Senior Individual Exhibit
First place: “Making Waves” by Baylin Davis, Mercy High School
Second place: “Jazz Breaking Racial and Musical Barriers” by Bridget Koley, Mercy High School
Third place: “Breaking Barriers in Omaha: The Omaha Star” by Carolyn Hire, Mercy High School
Fourth place: “Dissections by da Vinci” by Makayla Kennedy, Mercy High School
Senior Individual Paper
First place: “Eleanor Roosevelt: An Advocate for the People” by Lauren Young, Marian High School
Second place: “How Superheroes Changed American WWII Participation” by Megan Streff, Mercy High School
Third place: “Breaking Barriers, Building Ramps: The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990” by Cecilia Urbanski, Marian High School
Fourth place: “Barriers and Effects of Apollo 11” by Kate Hoppe, Marian High School
Senior Individual Performance
First place: “Corazon Aquino: Breaking the Barrier of Dictatorship” by Brenna Whitten, Elkhorn South High School
Second place: “Hippies Everywhere: The 1967 Levitation of the Pentagon” by Bethany Madden, Ralston High School
Senior Individual Website
First place: “The Crimes of This Guilty Land Can Never Be Purged Away but with Blood": John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry” by Grace Belter, Ralston High School
Special award winners:
Faith in Every Footstep Award sponsored by President Steve Johnson at the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters:
Megan Snow, Skutt Catholic High School; Emma Miranda, Lewis and Clark Middle School; Leah Retelsdorf, Lewis and Clark Middle School
Local African American Award sponsored by Eric Ewing at the Great Plains Black History Museum:
Allison Schanbacher, Elom Attiogbe, Ireland Muhlecke and Jessika Longacre, Ralston Middle School; Cameron Willits, Ralston Middle School; Houston Homan, Ralston High School
Metropolitan Community College's Grant of Learning scholarship:
Megan Snow, Skutt Catholic High School
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Metropolitan Community College, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is a comprehensive, public community college that offers affordable, quality education to all residents of Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties. Founded in 1974, MCC has the largest enrollment out of six community colleges in Nebraska and is the second largest postsecondary institution in the state. MCC serves more than 40,000 unique credit and noncredit students.