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Clayton Students "Make History" at NHD

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History is not just about the facts and figures of a bygone age. Moreover, history is about what happens everyday in communities around the world.

From June 15 to June 19, 2008, over 2500 students from all over the country gathered on the Maryland University Campus in Washington D.C. to celebrate this adage - National History Day (NHD). These students’ history projects had been carefully selected as one of the top two in their states. In this five-day celebration of history, students present historical topics through five major mediums: Documentaries, papers, exhibits, performances, and websites.

National History Day began in 1974 when several professors in Cleveland, Ohio decided to make teaching and learning history an exciting experience by gathering students on a college campus and to devote an entire day to celebrating history. Today, over half a million students from all 50 states, Guam, American Samoa, and Washington DC participate in this challenging, yet enlightening competition. Senators and state representatives provided tours for students. The First Lady, Ms. Laura Bush, added to the festivity by writing the welcome letter read to competitors during the opening ceremony.

The competition teaches students invaluable research techniques, as well as crucial life skills. By preparing a formal research submission, comprising of an abstract, a process paper, and a bibliography, students learn how to prepare a formal research project. In addition, students absorb countless other useful skills such as project management, teamwork, interview skills, and how to manage deadlines.

Coached by Wydown teacher Dr. Janet Baldwin, eight Clayton students qualified for the national competition: Ben Colagiovanni for his junior paper, Dee Luo and Xiaoya Wu for their junior exhibit, Benjamin Goldsmith and Zachary Praiss for their junior documentary, Gabrielle Lachtrup for her junior performance, and Chi Zeng for his senior website – making Clayton the only school district to have one participant in each category at the national level.

Dr. Baldwin’s diligent attention to her students during the competition deserves much recognition. Despite the fact that her daughter recently returned to St. Louis for an unexpected visit, Dr. Baldwin stayed for three days into the competition, instilling confidence in Clayton NHDers and helping students in any way she can, from obtaining dress shoes needed for an interview to coordinating interview times.

Her efforts definitely paid off. Benjamin Goldsmith and Zachary Praiss earned seventh place in the nation for their documentary “An Evolving Conflict With No Compromise In Sight.” Dee Luo and Xiaoya Wu won third place in the nation for their exhibit “Twin Twain: The Conflict and Compromise Between Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain.” Chi Zeng won the national gold medal for his website “Nixon's 1972 Visit to China: Compromise Across a 23-Year Ocean of Conflict.”

Clayton’s outstanding performance at National History Day is a reflection upon its high-quality teachers and the school district’s strong support to students to be exceptional. It’s safe to say that Clayton truly made history in this competition.