History projects cast wide net for topics

Even though the nation is marking the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition, judges for National History Day still had plenty of topics to choose from on Saturday.

"We expected a lot of Lewis and Clark, but we actually got some pretty unique topics -- Jane Goodall, Elvis," said Joel Rhodes, assistant professor at Southeast Missouri State University department of history. "What was really outstanding was the capability students demonstrated in understanding the significance of the exchange between cultures."

The theme of this year's National History Day is "Exploration, Encounter and Exchange in History."

Nearly 400 junior and senior high school students from 19 counties came to the university for an opportunity to advance to the state competition in Columbia on April 17.

Matthew Jedlinski, a fourth-grader at St. Mary Cathedral School, said, "I enjoyed doing this project because I got to learn about my heritage and my family."

His entry bore a striking crest, a combination of an eagle and the symbol of the Polish town of Bialystok, that drew passers-by. But the story accompanying the crest was even more striking.

His great-grandfather, Thomas Jedlinski, was put to death in a Siberian prison and his wife and children were abducted. Matthew's grandfather, Henryk, escaped and was able to survive World War II along with his brothers, sister and mother.

Matthew's grandmother, Helena, was separated from her family at 15. She was in a German work camp fron 1939 to 1944.

Ken Markin, an American history teacher at Jackson, judged junior individual performances.

"It takes courage, especially at the junior level, to get up and perform in front of people they don't know," he said.

A judge for 15 years in various categories, Markin said that there were few entries this year compared to previous years. With only three entries in the junior individual performance category, all of them will go to state.

capagano@semissourian.com

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