Tulare students focus on 'Debate and Diplomacy' throughout history

Lauren Jennings, Visalia Times-Delta
·5 min read
Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.
Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.

Students from all over Tulare County came together Tuesday to showcase weeks of hard work on projects highlighting historical issues, ideas, people and events.

Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented around 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.

"The intentional selection of the theme for National History Day is to provide an opportunity for students to push past the antiquated view of history as mere facts and dates," a press release from the Tulare County Office of Education reads, "and drill down into historical content to develop perspective and understanding."

Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.
Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.

The theme-based research projects were presented by students in grades 4-12, with topics varying from 'Banned Books' to 'The Cuban Missile Crisis,' and everything in between, with a focus on debate and diplomacy throughout history.

Students compete in three separate grade categories: fourth and fifth, sixth through eighth and high schoolers. Students in the sixth through eighth and high school categories present their findings using historical papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries and historical websites.

Presentations are then evaluated by local historians and educators.

Angelina Castellanos from Dinuba High School performs "Lewis Hine: The Debate of Child Labor and the Diplomacy that Followed" during the National History Day competition award ceremony Tuesday. Castellanos' performance was one of two that won "Best of Event."
Angelina Castellanos from Dinuba High School performs "Lewis Hine: The Debate of Child Labor and the Diplomacy that Followed" during the National History Day competition award ceremony Tuesday. Castellanos' performance was one of two that won "Best of Event."

The "Best of Event" winners selected during Tuesday's competition were "Lewis Hine: The Debate of Child Labor and the Diplomacy that Followed" by Angelina Castellanos from Dinuba High School and "America’s 'Cool' Weapon: The Jazz Ambassadors in the Cold War" by Addie Reardon, Hannah Wegley and Hollen Wegley from University Preparatory High School.

Here is the full list of finalists from the National History Day competition:

  • "Cuban Missile Crisis" by Heber Nieto Castrejon and Julian Salguero from Goshen Elementary School

  • "Munich Massacre" by Kane Diaz, Bryce Gonzalez, Matthew Lopez and Matthew Lopez from Dinuba GATE

  • "Jonestown" by Luke Gutierrez, Adrian Rojas and Nayome Vallejo from Dinuba GATE

  • "The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Was It Necessary?" by Juan Espinoza-Barraza, Vincent Marcovatcio and Billy Murray from Sequoia Union School

  • "A Strike That Changed the Lives Of Many: The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike" by Adalyne Garcia from Divisadero Middle School

  • "Hamilton vs. Jefferson - Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist" by Colton Lang from Sequoia Union School

  • "The Treaty of Versailles: The End of the Great War" by Abigail Hoogland from Divisadero Middle School

  • "PAHO’s Debate and Diplomacy: The Successes, Failures and Consequences of Pursuing Public Health" by Charvi Reddy from University Preparatory High School

  • "The Shining Path: A Faction Turned Terrorist" by Sarat’ika Kelly from University Preparatory High School

  • "The Debate and Diplomacy of the Bombing of Dresden" by Kaitlyn White from Redwood High School

  • "Successes and Failures in the US Legal System: Debates on Racial Inequality" by McKenzie Corcoran and Mya Martinez from Dinuba High School

  • "Women in the Military: Permanent or Wartime?" by Mia Giannandrea from University Preparatory High School

  • "Berlin the Battle of Diplomacy Between the Western Powers and the USSR" by Andrew Ramirez from Ridgeview Middle School

  • "The History of Medical Advancements Failures and Success of the Human Brain Within the Medical Field" by Kira Kunkel from Green Acres Middle School

  • "The Zimmerman Telegram" by Cecily Mason from University Preparatory High School

  • "The War of 1812: The Establishment of the United States as a World Power" by Zoe Townsend from University Preparatory High School

  • "Operation Blue Star: The Struggle and Fall of Bhindranwale" by Vismaad Randhawa from Redwood High School

  • "The Occupation at Wounded Knee" by Allyson Nieto-Esquivel from Goshen Elementary School

  • "Apollo 11" by Aidan Sanchez from Dinuba GATE

  • "Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: The Successes, Failures, and the Terrors That Follow" by Juliana Ochoa, Prisila Villacana and Alexxus Villanueva from Dinuba High School

  • "Lewis Hine: The Debate of Child Labor and the Diplomacy that Followed" by Angelina Castellanos from Dinuba High School

  • "America’s 'Cool' Weapon: The Jazz Ambassadors in the Cold War" by Addie Reardon, Hannah Wegley and Hollen Wegley from University Preparatory High School

  • "The Story of the Forgotten War" by Kailey Cuevas and Yasmin Rodriguez from Dinuba High School

  • "The Debate of the Chicago 8" by Bryan Baeza, Fabian Calderon and Luis Flores from Dinuba High School

  • "America's Grave Injustice: The US Sacrifice of Japanese-Americans for National Security" by Tanner Narahara from Ridgeview Middle School

  • "Debating the Legacy of Cesar Chavez...is he a saint like the 40,000 people who attended his funeral proclaim?" by Lincoln Graves from Ridgeview Middle School

  • "Draconian Law" by Josue Jarurietta, Elijah Quipse, Isaiah Ramos and Jerry Rodriguez from Dinuba GATE

  • "You Have the Right to Remain Silent: How a Landmark Case Brought Forth Debate and Diplomacy" by Andrea Parra from Dinuba High School

  • "The Successes and Failures of the UN’s Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide" by Ivan Martinez from Dinuba High School

  • "The Irony of Diplomatic Failure: Executive Order 9066" by Katia Ibarra from Dinuba High School

  • "The Little Rock Crisis: The Fight for Civil Rights in American Schools" by Noah Gonzalez and Josiah Smith from Dinuba High School

  • "The Equal Pay Act: The Start of a Debate for Women’s Wages" by Isabella Benavides, Valentina Castrejon and Mia Orosco from Dinuba High School

  • "Ruth Bader Ginsberg: A Feminist Icon" by Tessa Van Dermyden from Goshen Elementary

  • "Radium Girls" by Veronica Gongora from Dinuba GATE

  • "Cuban Missile Crisis" by William “Wade” Meyers from Sequoia Union School

  • "The Berlin Wall" by Nick Alqiunzon, Juan Rojas and Samantha Romero from Dinuba GATE

  • "Executive Order 9066" by Geovani Canchola, Chris Lanford III and Jonathan Ruelas from Goshen Elementary

  • "Indian Removal Act" by Natalie Bazan and Jennifer Jiminez from Dinuba GATE

Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.
Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.

A full list of finalists from National History Day can be found online at www.VisaliaTimesDelta.com.

County finalists move onto the state competition, scheduled virtually in May. Finalists from California move to the National History Day event held at the University of Maryland.

More than half a million middle and high school students participate in the National History Day competition each year. More than 30,000 teachers participate annually.

Lauren Jennings covers education and news for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow her on Twitter @lolojennings. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.

Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.
Over 165 elementary, middle and high school students from 11 Tulare County schools presented nearly 100 projects during the National History Day competition held at the Tulare County Office of Education Administration Building.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare students focus on 'Debate and Diplomacy' throughout history