Stevenson students make it to National History Day finals

Six Stevenson High School students spent one year thoroughly researching pieces of history.

They presented their final products, through visual displays or physical performances, and received accolades at a state level.

Now, Maggie Straszewski's Geneva Costopulos, Carly Penzik, Aliya de Grazia, Jamie Levit and Sneha Elango are ready to advance to a national stage.

The students and their four entries that earned first place at the Illinois History Expo will compete in the National History Day finals, today through Thursday, at the University of Maryland.

"These students have accomplished a lot by getting to nationals," said Pat Ambrose, who along with fellow Stevenson history teacher Dan Larsen, served as the History Day sponsors.

Straszewski's museum-display entry on "The Comic Code Authority" qualified for the National History Day finals and earned her the Exhibit Design Excellence Award from the Illinois Association of Museums.

Ambrose said Straszewski explained the historical significance of comic books in such a professional way that describing her work as a bulletin board display does not do it justice.

"Her board is one of the most beautiful, decorative, extravagant boards that anyone has ever seen," he said.

Three winning entries in the dramatic performance category also earned bids to Maryland. They are: "The Trial of Mary Todd Lincoln," by Costopulos and Penzik; "Escobedo v. Illinois," by de Grazia and Levit; and "My Sisters," by Elango.

Ambrose said the students who create a dramatic performance prepare by researching the Internet, journals and interviews to dig into their topic. Costopulos and Penzik studied if Mary Todd Lincoln was insane by speaking with psychologists and psychiatrists to study how insanity was defined in the 1800s and today.

They must then create a script and present a 10-minute performance to act out a particular event related to the topic. Ambrose said it is unusual for Stevenson to present so many entries in this category at the national level. Unlike a written presentation, it takes another type of talent to pretend to be someone else.

"These students were gifted in this area and did a great job," he said.

Also winning first place at state, but not qualifying for nationals, was "Second City," a museum-style exhibit by Susan Bender, Jennifer Elisco and Jacklyn Gelman.

Ambrose said it is hard to predict the outcome because they are unfamiliar with their competitors. One benefit is many of them have competed at this level before.

"They will have a good chance because they know what to do there and they will be comfortable," he said.