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Gonzaga bites into history

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<p>DALLAS &#8212; National History Day might be the perfect day for those who often find themselves fascinated by the events of the past, and one local college is hosting a competition to help garner a better understanding of the past.</p><p>Misericordia University has been hosting the National History Day regional competition for the past three years, taking over for Penn State Wilkes-Barre, which previously hosted the annual event.</p><p>According to Jennifer Black, assistant professor in the Department of History and a co-director for the competition, around 300 people attended, including students and parents.</p><p>&#8220;We have people who have been coming for years,&#8221; Black said. &#8220;There are some teachers who competed as students and are now bringing students of their own.&#8221;</p><p>The regional competition was open to students in grades six through 12 in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna Pike, Wayne, Wyoming, Monroe and Sullivan counties.</p><p>According to Black, students were able to compete using a variety of history projects, choosing either to act out a performance, shoot a documentary, build a website, design a tabletop display or write a paper.</p><p>&#8220;The tabletop displays are by far the most popular,&#8221; Black said.</p><p>Black said that the top three winners in each category (for a total of 18) would be eligible to advance to the state National History Day competition May 5 and 6 at Carlisle High School.</p><p>This year&#8217;s theme for National History Day competitions is &#8220;Taking a Stand in History,&#8221; which, according to a press release from the university, encourages students to look at people who had taken a stand in support of an issue.</p><p>Oliver Lew, 14, of Dallas, discussed one such historical figure.</p><p>Lew&#8217;s project was a solo performance he titled &#8220;Chapters in the Life of Nathan Denison.&#8221; Lew said Denison was a local figure in the Revolutionary War, and his house is now a museum in Forty Fort.</p><p>&#8220;He came from nothing and built a legacy for himself,&#8221; said Lew, who is in eighth grade at Wyoming Seminary. &#8220;He fought in the Battle of Wyoming and became one of Pennsylvania&#8217;s highest judges.&#8221;</p><p>Lew&#8217;s teacher, Clark Switzer, a U.S. history teacher at Wyoming Seminary, also served as one of the judges at the competition.</p><p>According to Switzer, the competition helps students learn valuable skills.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good way to practice doing historic research. And those skills are transferable,&#8221; Switzer said. &#8220;You never know where that might take you.&#8221;</p><p><ins>But besides what it does for the students, Switzer said that the competition allows a unique opportunity for educators.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;It&#8217;s a wonderful experience to see what students and teachers are doing in other classrooms,&#8221; Switzer said. &#8220;I talk with other educators, and bring back ideas. It&#8217;s energizing.&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>Besides other competitors, students were also able to see some exhibits from historical experts, including members of the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment.</ins></p><p><ins>According to member Donna Hopfer, of Knoxon, the 24th Connecticut takes its name from an actual military unit active in this area in colonial times, dating back to when this area was claimed by both the colonies of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;We portray an actual unit,&#8221; Hopfer said. &#8220;We show general 18th century life and military life.&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>Nancy Walter, of Fleetville, a member of both the 24th Connecticut and the Colonial Reenactors Guild, who was displaying the sorts of games 18th century people would have played, said that learning about history is vital.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;We need to know where we came from,&#8221; Walter said. &#8220;This helps kids understand that these people were real people.&#8221;</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Berwick Area eighth grader Taylor Woodeshick, right, is being judged on her presentation of American activitist Ruby Bridges for the History Day competition Saturday at Misericordia University in Dallas Township. Judging, from left, are Jennifer Gazdick, Briana Pugliese and Thomas Hajkowski. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_History-Day-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Berwick Area eighth grader Taylor Woodeshick, right, is being judged on her presentation of American activitist Ruby Bridges for the History Day competition Saturday at Misericordia University in Dallas Township. Judging, from left, are Jennifer Gazdick, Briana Pugliese and Thomas Hajkowski. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_History-Day-1.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Prior to being judged, Berwick Area eighth grader Tanner Allen places material on the table of Oskar Schindler, Tanner&#8217;s subject for the History Day competition. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_History-Day-1.jpeg</photo1><caption1>Prior to being judged, Berwick Area eighth grader Tanner Allen places material on the table of Oskar Schindler, Tanner&#8217;s subject for the History Day competition. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_History-Day-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sherry Emershaw, right, secretary of the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Inc., a recreated unit of the American Revolution displays a cockade, a rosette of ribbon worn on a hat to, from the left, Emmslie Hernandez, 8th grade, St. Nick&#8217;s/St. Mary&#8217;s, Wilkes-Barre; Marie Saltz, Ashley; Julianna Salts, St. Mary&#8217;s/St. Nick&#8217;s; Linnea Kolanda, Misericordia University. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_History-Day-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Sherry Emershaw, right, secretary of the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Inc., a recreated unit of the American Revolution displays a cockade, a rosette of ribbon worn on a hat to, from the left, Emmslie Hernandez, 8th grade, St. Nick&#8217;s/St. Mary&#8217;s, Wilkes-Barre; Marie Saltz, Ashley; Julianna Salts, St. Mary&#8217;s/St. Nick&#8217;s; Linnea Kolanda, Misericordia University. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

History Day competition highlights historical figures who took stands