National History Day: 

National History Day, a non-profit educational program, challenges students from grades 6-12 to create historical projects related to the year's theme and compete in the annual competition. This year, Masterman students attended NHD Philly on March 13th at the National Constitution Center. The theme chosen for this year was Rights and Responsibilities. 

Giulia Sheth (‘25), who has completed an NHD project for the past three years, expanded on what this year’s theme meant to her. “I thought of it…as a clash…like you have rights, but you have responsibilities. When do those clash?” she explained. She was drawn in by the subject of “how to deal or react with that clash” in her website about Operation Paperclip.  Sarah Zdancewic (‘25), also a three-time participant, noted that “taking historical events and connecting them to the present” is a big part of her projects. She elaborated on how “Rights and Responsibilities” was a theme that prompted questions about “how ideas traverse time…how rights… have changed over time—and the same with responsibilities” in her documentary about the Vietnam War. 

“My hope is that all the students feel really proud of themselves for that exceptionally high level of work that they are doing, and [that] they enjoy themselves doing research and…do research in the future,” said Ms. Taylor, a history teacher at Masterman who sponsors NHD and oversees the creation of every project. “Ms. Taylor is such a wonderful sponsor, and she does so much to keep everyone motivated…but also just to make history really fun for everyone,” reflected Sarah when considering what has brought her back to the club year after year. Over the past two years previous National History Day participants returned to complete another project; other former competitors became mentors for the current participants, which Mrs. Taylor said creates a “virtuous cycle of people coming back and helping others and helping others continues because that's what makes it work.” 

Every project from Masterman placed at the district competition and advanced to states, which will be held at the University of Scranton on April 12th and 13th. In the individual documentary division, Sarah came in first place. In the group documentary division, sophomores Eoin Daly, Owen Kuster, and Corrine Xu came in first place and earned the award for the best project out of all the entries for their project about Law V. Nichols. In the individual website division, Carnila Igusti Ayu (‘27) came in third place and Halimah Fasasi (‘28) came in first place for her project about the Biafra War. 

In the group website decision, Jason Nguyen (‘27), Jason Chen ('27) and Eric Yeung (‘28) took second place for their project on the Holmesburg Prison Experiments, and seniors Giulia and Daniella Liang took first. In the individual exhibit division, Bruno Beckman (‘27) came in first for his project on the gentrification of Black Bottom to become University City. In the group exhibit division, seniors Cameron Zhang, Jessica Zheng, and Kara Wang took first place for their project exploring the Yellow Power movement. In the paper category, Fatima Ndiaye (‘27) took second place for her project about the Mulford Act. To close it all out, juniors Amaliya Kozlova, Jessica Jesteen, and Taylor Samara Reuter took first place for their group performance about the Uniform Anatomical Gift. 

We wish all NHD members the best of luck for the next stage of the competition!