Story by: Amy Maddie, GCCISD Social Studies Liaison

 Goose Creek CISD (GCCISD) is proud to announce that 46 students recently competed in the annual Texas History Day contest in Austin, earning top honors and advancing to the national level.

 

Each year, students across GCCISD participate in National History Day, where they develop original research projects based on a unifying annual theme. This year’s theme, “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History,” was selected in recognition of the upcoming United States Semiquincentennial.

 

The Texas History Day competition featured more than 1,100 student competitors and 555 project entries from across the state, highlighting the high level of achievement required to advance. GCCISD students submitted 30 projects to the state contest, with six earning first- or second-place finishes and several receiving prestigious special awards.

 

GCCISD students celebrate their awards at the Texas History Day competition in Austin. Pictured, from left, Anay Gupta, Manavendra Chouhan, Aron Salazar, Arya Patel, Ananya Sood, Jack Pettine, David Orellana, Austin Thomas, and Isaac Graham.  Photo by: Amy Maddie, GCCISD Social Studies Liaison

 

Students from Goose Creek Memorial High School, under the guidance of teacher April Vogel, produced four of the district’s top entries. Manavendra Chouhan earned first place for his historical paper, “The Spark in Champaran: Revolution Through Satyagraha, Reaction of Empire, and Reform that Reshaped India.” Arya Patel and Aron Salazar received second place for their group website, “A Voice in the Pecan Dust: Emma Tenayuca’s Grassroots Revolution, the Red-Baiting Reaction, and the Reform of Mexican- American Labor.” Ananya Sood earned first place for her individual documentary, “We All Bleed Red: Science, War, and the Fight for Equality,” and also received the Senior Division Outstanding Regional Project Award from Baytown Regional History Day. Anay Gupta received first place for his individual website, “When Truth Hit the Headlines: How the Pentagon Papers Sparked Reaction and Demanded Reform.”

 

Baytown Junior School students Austin Thomas, David Orellana, and Jack Pettine earned first place for their group exhibit, “On the Line of Scrimmage: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform Under the Helmet,” sponsored by teachers Seth Tunink, Heather Caraway, and Joshua Sifuentes.

 

From Gentry Junior School, Isaac Graham, under the direction of teacher Christina Barlow, received first place for his individual exhibit, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform: The Vietnam Draft Protests and America’s Debate Over Duty.” Additionally, Gentry Junior School student Brinkley Benoit earned the Junior Division Outstanding Regional Award from Baytown Regional History Day for her individual documentary, “Up in Smoke: How the Tobacco Industry Lost Its Grip on America,” under the sponsorship of teacher Sarah Capestani.

 

In addition to category awards, organizations across the nation sponsor special recognitions for outstanding projects. Goose Creek Memorial students Jonathan Lewis and Yashvir Singh Gill earned both the Naval Order of the United States Award and the National Maritime History Society’s Special Prize for Maritime Projects for their group exhibit, “SUBSAFE: Revolutionizing the Depths through Vital Reform.”

 

Students who placed first or second in their categories have qualified to compete at the National History Day National Contest, which will be held June 14–16 in College Park, Maryland.

 

GCCISD congratulates all participating students and teachers for their dedication, academic excellence, and commitment to historical inquiry.