Westport Students Compete In National History Day Competition

WESTPORT, CT — Westport Public Schools students competed in the National History Day competition in Washington, District of Columbia. Students earned their place at the national competition after competing at the regional and state level.

According to a release, the experience in Washington afforded students participating in the national competition the opportunity to meet American lawmakers and make numerous connections to the district's curriculum.

Thirteen students from Bedford Middle School were victorious at the state competition and traveled to Washington to represent the state of Connecticut. The thirteen students were made up of three teams, each competing with their own original entry.

Projects included a website about the Loving v. Virginia case, and exhibits about the Cuban Missile Crisis and Treaty of Versailles. Students have been working on their projects since November.

One group in particular made some timely connections with their project topic of Loving v. Virginia. This 1967 Supreme Court case was a landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court, which ultimately invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

NHD advisor and BMS teacher Caroline Davis was pleased that these students "went to the Supreme Court today, on the 51st anniversary of the Loving decision, and took a photo with a bust of Earl Warren (the Chief Justice who delivered the majority ruling)."

Later in the day, students from both BMS and Staples High School were able to meet with Senator Richard Blumenthal, who discussed the importance of understanding our nation's history, while using that knowledge to shape contemporary American society. Students also visited the National Archives, multiple museums and toured the Capitol.

The National History Day experience culminated yesterday with the awards ceremony. Bedford students Lyah Muktavaram, Jordan Chiu-Skow, Jason Chiu-Skow and Johann Kobetitsch earned top honors for their exhibit about the Treaty of Versailles.

The group earned a special award for “Best Junior Entry from Connecticut” and placed 4th nationally.

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Photo credit: Lisa Marriott