History came to life as hundreds of students submitted projects for this year’s local National History Day competition at Huntington High School last Thursday night.

The teenagers spent months researching and developing their entries and took delight in the attention that was showered upon them during last week’s awards ceremony.

Participants vied in categories ranging from research papers to individual and group websites, exhibits and documentaries. This year’s theme was “Taking a Stand in History.”

Teams of teachers served as judges for each category and spent hours evaluating the projects, which were displayed in the auditorium lobby prior to the announcement of this year’s award winners.

“This year’s event featured the presentation of some of the finest research efforts I can recall seeing, which says quite a bit considering the quality of projects that come from Huntington every year,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “Robert Jean-Gilles’ individual performance, the documentaries produced by Alyssa Befumo and John and Katie Riley and the multitude of outstanding exhibits on display in the lobby are just some of the projects that reaffirmed Huntington’s commitment to the National History Day initiative. It is clear that our students take great pride in their work. Congratulations to all student participants from both Finley and Huntington High School, as well as to teachers Lauren Desiderio, Camille Tedeschi, Kenneth Donovan, Jarrad Richter and department chair Joseph Leavy and all the others who continue to inspire!”

The top place finishers will advance to the Long Island regional finals at Hofstra University on Sunday, March 19. In the ensuing weeks, students will be able incorporate suggestions made by local judges to improve their projects.

The state championship is set for Monday, April 24 in Cooperstown. The national finals will be held June 11-15 at the University of Maryland at College Park.

The annual history initiative seeks to make history more relevant for students and requires them to use a variety of practical and creative skills during the development of their projects.

The local National History Day competition is coordinated by Huntington High School’s History Day club. Club officers include Margaret Giles (president), Gaia D’Anna (vice president), Isabella Piccola (recording secretary), Nicole Arenth (corresponding secretary), Alyssa Befumo (treasurer), Isabella McGinniss (historian) and administrative assistants Erica Vazquez and Max Robins.

A large crowd of more than 300 viewed projects on display in the school lobby before moving into the auditorium for several presentations and performances and the announcement of this year’s award winners. Mr. Polansky was joined at the event by high school Principal Brenden Cusack and Assistant Principals Joseph DiTroia and Gamal Smith.

Sophomore Maya DelGiudice captured the Principal’s Award for her historical paper on President Harry Truman. “Maya did a wonderful job of outlining the impact of Harry Truman’s presidency,” Mr. Cusack told the crowd during the awards ceremony. “It is clear that she put a lot of effort into this project, which was truly deserving of recognition. I am very proud of all the students who participated.  Kids took the National History Day theme of ‘taking a stand’ and they ran with it. The display of effort and inquiry this year was very impressive.”

Sophomore Katie Riley and her brother, junior John Riley teamed up to take first place in the group documentary category for their project on Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst who leaked to The New York Times a study of decision-making by US officials on the Vietnam War. Known as the Pentagon Papers, the information painted a bleak picture of America’s role in Southeast Asia.

“Katie and I are excited to once again represent Huntington High School at the Long Island History Day competition,” Mr. Riley said. “Working together to create a documentary was challenging. We were required to select a topic relevant to both our AP World History and AP United States History class curriculums. The Vietnam War is a subject covered in both classes and Dr. Daniel Ellsberg’s decision to release the Pentagon Papers satisfied this year’s NHD theme of ‘Taking a Stand.’ Ellsberg’s release of the papers revealed over 25 years of lies and cover-ups by four presidents about the US involvement in Vietnam. It ultimately changed the relationship between the US government and the American people. This will be my third and last year competing at Hofstra. I’m hopeful that we will do well.”

Mrs. Desiderio continues to put her heart and soul into the history initiative. She’s optimistic about the chances of many Huntington students in the regional competition and beyond.

“History Day is a great way for students to get involved with history,” said Ms. Tedeschi, who worked with many of the teenagers who entered projects. “For the students that really get into it, they learn skills that are used in all subject areas and help prepare them for college. Research and writing are essential components in the Advanced Placement/honors program at Huntington High School and National History Day helps to build and enhance those skills each time the students compete in the competition. I love how our department collaborates on this and gets excited for all of the students’ work, not just the students in your own your classes. I enjoyed all of the projects and was so proud of everyone. The students really worked hard and it showed. I really enjoy the projects on topics I am unfamiliar with and can learn new things from.”