13 Decorah 8th graders qualify for National History Day state competition

State Qualifiers (Front Row, left to right): Evie Holyoake, Stacia Sexton, Erin Dintaman, Aubrey Buresh and Sophie Weis. (Back Row, left to right): Sydney Landstrom, Owen Burgdorf-Hibbs, Sara Gehling, Lauren Raddatz, Lars Marquardt, Austin Bulman and Brayden Krivachek. (Absent from photo): Emma Fretheim (Click on photo for larger image)

13 students Decorah 8th grade students have qualified for the National History Day state competition to be held in Des Moines on May 4th.

The students were among those participating in the Regional History Day competition held at the Decorah Middle School.  Students choose how they will present their projects from a variety of different presentation opportunities, including exhibits, papers, performances, and websites. The theme for the 2015 contest is "Leadership and Legacy."

The students qualifying for the state competition and their projects are as follows:

Individual Exhibit
Owen Burgdorf-Hibbs: From Nevermore to Evermore: Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe

Individual Website
Evie Holyoake: Joseph Goldberger and the War on Pellagra

Group Documentaries
Sydney Landstrom and Lauren Raddatz: Alice Paul: Gender Equality or Bust
Aubrey Buresh and Sophie Weis: Nellie Bly: Race Around the World

Individual Documentary
Stacie Sexton: John Muir: The Wilderness Warrier
Emma Fretheim: Mathew Brady: History Through a Lens

Group Exhibit
Erin Dintaman and Sara Gehling: A Helping Hand from Henry Bergh
Lars Marquardt, Austin Bulman, and Brayden Krivachek: Mayo Brothers: Leadership and Legacy in Healthcare

Other Regional Participants and their projects are as follows:

Individual Exhibits
Jordan Hussain: Marian Anderson: A Voice to be Heard
Gracia Taylor: Irena Sendler's Children
Lucy Hansen: Harvey Milk
Annika Okerstrom: Rachel Carson
Emma Rolfs: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tanner Knutson: Dan Gable
Kayanne Cooper: Seargent Reckless
Nathaniel Cowie: Legacy of Tom Landry
August Hayes: Sitting Bull
Jared Holthaus: Jackie Robinson

Group Exhibits
Kaitlin Walter and Ashlyn Lensing: Amelia Bloomer
Hannah Feuerhelm, Natalie Tapscott, Celia Lesmeister: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Julianna Wise and Sonja Hoyland: Louis Zamperini
Desirae Pitz and Caroline Knox-Reid: Helen Keller
Madison Turner and Camrin Chyle: Clara Barton

Individual Documentaries
Elise Miller: Betty Hoff: Luther College Women's Athletics
Sophia Maguina: Carrie Chapman Catt
Mara Frieden: Branch Rickey: Breaking Barriers
Alice Laybourn: Gunnar Kaasen: The Serum Run
Rose Gullekson: Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Hayden Carlson: Legacy of Robert E. Lee
Kai Sims: Werner von Braun

Individual Performance
Sarah Mumford: Paul McCartney
Megan Robinson: Marilyn Monroe

Individual Website
Cameron DeLong: Women of the Manhattan Project
Daniel Schwartzhoff: Lawarence Bouma
Dhruv Amin: Theodore Roosevelt
Jada Bushman: Matt Hamill
McKenzie Hageman: Clifford Beers
Ann Meirick: Norman Borlaug
Josie Kleckner: Sylvia Earle

Group Website
Rachel Hudson and Grace Syverson: Wilma Rudolph: Leading the Race to Gold
Skyler Malone and Jenna Raddatz: Chief Joseph
Kaylee O'Connell and Marlee Duwe: Mary Kay Ash