Forty-one Southeast students competed in the Lincoln District’s National History Day (NHD) competition on Wednesday, March 7, at Southeast Community College (SCC). More than half of the students placed (27), meaning that they get a one-way ticket to the state competition at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and if they place at state, then they get to go to Washington D.C. for the national competition.

Why were these students competing in NHD? NHD competitor and junior Jenna Troutman said, “The AP US History (APUSH) teachers feel like we need to have a project each semester so we become more closely acquainted with parts of US history.”

The students could enter into one of four categories and do it alone or with a group. The categories were to write a historical paper, which had to be done individually; create an exhibit; film, edit and produce a documentary; or make a website. Students could pick from any United States event ever, but they just had to relate it back to this year’s theme, “Conflict and Compromise in History.”

Troutman competed in the website category individually. Troutman wanted to research an issue regarding race and her teacher suggested doing a topic on local race riots, as judges like local history topics. “I started researching different race riots and ended up with the ones in Omaha [in the 1960s],” said Troutman. “I had to research why [the African Americans rioted], I contextualized and talked about how race was a hardship, and what the compromises are, and how the dorms at University of Nebraska-Omaha were then interracially roomed.”

Students brought their projects to SCC, and waited for their time to be judged. The judging consisted of a few questions and a few recommendations on how to improve the project, should they move on to state, or even nationals.

All in all, students were very happy with their projects and how well they did, as were the APUSH teachers, Noa Craft and Kyle Beacom. They strive to continue this project in the following years, hoping that anybody who decides to take APUSH will do well with their own project in the NHD competition.