Record Number of Birchwood Students Headed to National History Day
On April 26, the results from the state level of the National History Day competition were announced. Sixteen students and their nine projects will advance to the national level of the competition in June, the largest number of Birchwood students ever to advance to the national level as a result of their first and second place wins.
In the historical paper category, 7th grader Omar Elbadawy placed first with his paper on Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and 8th grader Shreeyans Bhavaraju (of North Royalton) received an honorable mention for his paper on the Yalta Conference.
In the individual exhibit category, 8th grader Jennifer Song placed second for her presentation about Chinese researcher Tu Youyou and her discovery of a cure for malaria using 2000-year-old Chinese medical texts.
In the group website category, 6th graders Joshua Chen and Stephen Parrino placed first with their project on the BASIC computer language. Eighth graders Chloe Leng, Nadine Nouraldin, and Reyna Uechi placed second with their website on the Titanic.
For the group performance category, Birchwood had three entries, all of which placed. Taking first was the 6th grade group of Ishika Chand, Manya Raina, and Yara Salam with their portrayal of suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. Placing second were 8th graders Manan Raina and Jad Alsouss for their performance comparing how Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X communicated their messages. Receiving an honorable mention for their performance on the Sam Sheppard murder trial were 7th graders Katie Leonardi, Fiona Boyd, and Audrey Ronayne.
In the documentary categories, 7th grader Angela D’Souza placed first with her individual documentary on the Cleveland Free-Net. Placing second was 6th grader Joshua Gordon for his focus on the cartoons of Thomas Nast. For group documentaries, 8th graders Cadence Guo and Joshua Sifers placed second with their project on the events at Tiananmen Square. Seventh graders Aanya and Siya Lakireddy placed third with their documentary about Joseph Briggs and the start of Free Mail Delivery. Seventh graders Ben Miyares and Isabella Bixler received an honorable mention for their documentary about the Selma marches.
Birchwood students also received an impressive number of Special Awards for their strong research. Receiving the Ohio Digitized Archives Researcher Award were Katie Leonardi, Fiona Boyd , and Audrey Ronayne. Taking home the African American History Award were Manan Raina and Jad Alsouss. The American History of Film Award was given to Aanya and Siya Lakireddy. Omar Elbadawy received an award from the Ohio Local History Alliance. The Society of Ohio Archivists presented their award to Angela D’Souza. Taking home the National Maritime Historical Award were Chloe Leng, Nadine Nouraldin, and Reyna Uechi. Alex Sideris received the award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his exhibit on “Dummy” Hoy, a deaf Major League Baseball player who pioneered the use of hand signals in baseball.
Their teachers and coaches, Mrs. Connie Miller and Mr. Joseph Parrino, congratulate these students for their outstanding accomplishments and are confident that the quality of their work will shine at the national competition.
