Salem students take top honors at state history contest

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) proudly announces 17 students, representing Bradie Shrum Elementary School and Salem Middle School, took top honors at the 2018 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) state contest. More than 500 Indiana students took part in the competition, Saturday, April 14, at Ivy Tech’s campus in downtown Indianapolis. 

The 2018 national theme is “Conflict and Compromise in History,” and local students explored topics such as Morgan’s Raid, the Cuban missile crisis and the Salem witch trials. Three local students also qualified to the National Contest for National History Day (NHD).

All first- and second-place state finishers in each junior and senior category are eligible to attend the national competition, June 9 through 15, in College Park, Maryland.  

Salem Middle School students Matthew Hurst, Nicholas Garrett and Matthew Johnson took first place in the Junior Group Website category with their project, “Compromise through Writing: Robert F. Kennedy’s Work towards the Conflict of the Civil Rights Movement.”

The National Contest will be the final stage in a series of contests at state and regional levels. Students in grades four through 12 began this year’s National History Day journey by exploring a historical subject and then using their research to create a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website.

Students qualified to state by taking part in regional contests where volunteer judges worked in teams to evaluate projects and rank winners. All regional finalists advanced to the state contest, where students also had the chance to win special prizes for Indiana history topics.

NHDI is presented by the Indiana National Guard, The Richard W. and Irene Rooker Family Foundation, TCU Foundation, Vigran Family Foundation and Junior League of Indianapolis.  For more information, visit www.indianahistory.org/historyday or call (317) 232-1882.

2018 NHDI State Contest Medalists for Salem Community Schools:

*All first- and second-place winners in the junior and senior categories are eligible for the National Contest for National History Day. Third place winners serve as alternates.

Youth Group Exhibit

1st place - “The Salem Witch Trials: Conflict of the Soul”

Julia Bowling, Lilli Gilstrap and Sophie Nolot

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

3rd place - “The Vietnam Conflict”

Reya Snyder, Leauna Springer and Korabell Gilstrap

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

Youth Group Performance 

1st place - “Cuban Missile Crisis: The Conflict that Brought the World to the Brink of Nuclear War”

Brady Briscoe, Noah Deaton, Owen Martin and Japeth Webb

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

Youth Group Website

1st place - “World War II”

Brandon Cornwell and Hunter Trainor

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

Youth Individual Website 

1st place - “Morgan’s Raid, Conflict and Compromise”

Nick Ingram

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

2nd place - “The Civil War, Conflict and Compromise”

Gaven Mancine

Bradie Shrum Elementary, Salem

Junior Group Website

1st place, National Qualifier - “Compromise Through Writing: Robert F. Kennedy’s Work Towards the Conflict of the Civil Rights Movement”

Matthew Hurst, Nicholas Garrett and Matthew Johnson

Salem Middle School, Salem