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Showcasing Students’ Historical Insights
By Kat Chambers March 15, 2025
Central New York History Day 2025, an annual event celebrating student research and historical inquiry, took place this Saturday, March 15th at OCM BOCES, hosted by the Onondaga Historical Association. This year’s competition brought together some of the region’s brightest young historians from Fayetteville-Manlius, Solvay School District, and Chittenango, all eager to showcase their understanding of this year’s theme: Rights and Responsibilities.
Adam Altag
Project Chernobyl
Student Project
Mary Edwards Walker
by Olivia Rockwell
Lily Zhou &Jordan Miller
Unheard Voices; The Jamelske Case & Women's Rights
Students were tasked with selecting an aspect of the theme and researching how it played out in a specific historical time and place. They then presented their findings through various formats, including research papers, exhibits, documentaries, performances, and websites. The goal was to explore the historical context of the chosen issue, analyze the choices made by individuals or groups, and examine the lasting effects on society.
“This theme challenges students to think critically about the balance between rights and responsibilities in history,” said Scott Peal, one of the event organizers from OHA. “It encourages them to make connections between the past and present and understand how decisions shaped the world we live in today.”
Fayetteville-Manlius "Students Shine at Central New York History Day"
Fayetteville-Manlius "Students Shine at Central New York History Day"
This year’s team, led by the powerhouse social studies duo of Justin Polly and Kristina Jeanneret, came out ready to give it their best at this year's History Day!
With months of preparation and fierce determination, these students brought their A-game. Dressed sharp and polished, they commanded attention from the moment they walked in, backing up their confident looks with top-tier research and powerful presentations. Polly and Jeanneret’s expert guidance in the classroom clearly paid off, as their crew left it all on the field (or rather, the presentation floor), setting the bar high and proving they were in it to win it.
Following the Yellow Brick Road to No Return; The Exploitation of Child Actors in Hollywood
Following the Yellow Brick Road to No Return; The Exploitation of Child Actors in Hollywood
Tea Sangster & Elizabeth Connors
Projects covered a wide range of topics, from the suffragette movement and civil rights struggles to the responsibilities of political leaders during wartime and the impact of technological advancements on personal freedoms. Judges, including local historians and educators, evaluated the projects based on historical accuracy, interpretation, and presentation quality.
“The level of research and insight these students demonstrated is remarkable,” said judge Thomas Hewitt. “It’s clear they put a tremendous amount of time and thought into their work.”
Sydeny Broton (8), Tatiana Furness (7), Gianna LoBello (8), Tirzah Reyes (8), Evangeline Roebig (8), Andrew Webster (8), Adam Altaj (7), Mason DeBerjeois (8), Olivia Rockwell (8), Adryana Milton (7)
Solvay Students Make Their Mark at CNY History Day
Solvay Students Make Their Mark at CNY History Day
Solvay’s social studies students, led by teachers Nick Costa and Anna Rolince, delivered an impressive performance at Central New York History Day 2025, held at OCM BOCES and hosted by the Onondaga Historical Association. Tackling this year’s theme, Rights and Responsibilities, students explored historical events and decisions, analyzing their impact on society through research papers, exhibits, documentaries, and performances. Costa praised the students' deep understanding and effort, while Rolince highlighted their creativity and strong presentation skills. With standout projects covering a wide variety of topics, Solvay’s team demonstrated they’re more than ready for the next level of competition.
First Place Winners Per Category:
🥇Junior Group Exhibit: Harriett Tubman by Tatiana Furness, Gianna LoBella, Sydney Broton [FM]
🥇Junior Group Performance: The Newsies by Evangeline Roebig & Tirzah Reyes [Solvay]
🥇Junior Individual Exhibit: Dwight D Eisenhower & D-Day by Andrew Webster [Solvay]
🥇Senior Group Documentary: MK Ultra: The CIA's abuse of Citzen's Rights by Ethan Wong, Derick Wang & Anthony Bottar [FM]
🥇Senior Individual Documentary: The Imprisonment of Citizens by Harl Yoganathan [FM]
🥇Senior Group Exhibits: Unheard Voices; The Jamelske Case and Women's Rights by Lily Zhou and Jordan Miller [FM]
🥇Senior Individual Exhibit: Not All Sugar Is Sweet; The International Complicity of Exploitative Bondage Labor in India by Sonia LaHaye [FM]
🥇Senior Individual Website: Who's Considered a Citizen; Life after Colonialization by Ethan Kotoklo [FM]
🥇Senior Paper: The Catastrophic Aviation Dilemma; How Los Angeles World Airports Failed to Take Responsibility an Uphold Workers' Rights, Resulting in a Tragic Incident by David Nagapetov [FM]
Second Place Winners Per Category:
🥈Junior Group Exhibit: N/A
🥈Junior Group Performance: N/A
🥈Junior Individual Exhibit: Chernobyl by Adam Altag [Solvay]
🥈Senior Group Documentary: Rights and Responsibilities in the Digital Age; Edward Snowed Blows the Whistle by Daniel Manta and Hudson Brenner [FM]
🥈Senior Individual Documentary: N/A
🥈Senior Group Exhibits: Following the Yellow Brick Road to No Return; The Exploitation of Child Actors In Hollywood by Elisabeth Connors and Tea Sangster [FM]
🥈Senior Individual Exhibit: Legalized Racism; The Chinese Exclusion Act by Eleanor Comprix [FM]
🥈Senior Individual Website: N/A
🥈Senior Paper: Laika the Space Dog and Animal Rights by Anson Li [FM]
🥉 Junior Group Exhibit: N/A
🥉 Junior Group Performance: N/A
🥉 Junior Individual Exhibit: Boston Massage by Adryana Milton [Solvay]
🥉 Senior Group Documentary: Crossing Borders; Southern Europe's Fight for Rights by Dominica Scalzetti & Dafni Mountrakis [FM]
🥉 Senior Individual Documentary: N/A
🥉Senior Group Exhibits: Smash the Patriarchy by Katherine Knapp and Samira Patel [FM]
🥉 Senior Individual Exhibit: Burned and Buried by Jacob Chen [FM]
🥉 Senior Individual Website: N/A
🥉 Senior Paper: N/A
Central New York History Day continues to be a cornerstone event for fostering historical thinking and research skills among students. By encouraging participants to examine complex historical issues through the lens of rights and responsibilities, the competition helps cultivate a deeper understanding of the past — and its influence on the future. We look forward to seeing this bright students at next year's competition.
Studying the past to inform the present and shape the future
Learn more about National History Day at their website https://nhd.org/en/
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