Nine people wandered around the Saints gym with clipboards on February 26, taking in every detail
from the history projects that lined rows of tables. They had the easy job – judging. Things were a bit
more nerve wracking for the sophomores, on the other hand, who were grilled about their National
History Day projects.
Clad in a business suit and tie, Henry Cox answered questions about why he chose to focus on 19 th
Century Film.
Henry, a self-proclaimed “movie buff” and Saint Bernard School drama club member, said it helped to
pick a topic he is passionate about.
“I love film and wanted to learn more about the topic and this project presented me with an opportunity
to do just that,” he said.
Students created exhibits, documentaries and websites to present their knowledge on historical
subjects, which included Mount Everest, the 19 th Amendment, the Titanic, underwater exploration, The
Mohegan Tribe, and Caesar.
Angela Abraham and Emily Smith created a display all about the Waco siege in Texas, which entailed a
51-day standoff between government agents and the Branch Davidian religious sect in 1993. At least 74
people, including 25 children, died when fire consumed the ranch at Mount Carmel where David Koresh
and his followers were located. There had long been allegations of child abuse and illegal weaponry
within the compound.
“It’s interesting because it was so recent in history and it still happens today,” Emily said.
Judges were comprised of former and current faculty, community members and parents. Among them
was Wayland Currie, former history teacher and SBS alumnus from the class of 1963.
History teacher Jennifer Frazier said the top three scorers in the SBS competition will advance to the
state contest on April 30 at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Those students are: Liv
Barry, Angela Wang, and Sydnie Ziegler.