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National History Day 2003 National Finalists

We are proud to announce the national finalists and alternates for the 2003 Wisconsin History Day State Event held on May 3, 2003. The national finalists represented Wisconsin at the national contest June 15-19, 2003 at the University of Maryland - College Park.

The first and second alternate in each category are offered the opportunity to attend the national contest in the event that the finalist entry is unable to attend.

Each finalist designs their entry to reflect the annual theme. The entries below reflect the annual theme for 2003: Rights and Responsibilities in History.


Student Name(s)

Project Title

School

Junior Papers
National Finalist:
Kirsten De Jarlais 		Ada James: Taking Responsibility, Campaigning for Women's Rights in Wisconsin Logan Middle School
National Finalist:
Michael Vanderscheuren 		The Birth of the Declaration of Independence St. James School
Alternate 1:
Adam Shaw 		Homeland Security: The impact of fighting terrorism on our right to privacy SOTA II
Alternate 2:
Britani Lange 		Jim Crow Laws: The Government's Neglected Responsibility D.C. Everest Junior High School
Senior Papers
National Finalist:
Natalie Fondell 		Father James Groppi: Rights and Responsibilities During the Civil Rights Movement of the Sixties D.C. Everest High School
National Finalist:
Sean Fitzgerald 		Horicon Marsh - A Struggle for Survival Home School
Alternate 1:
Emily Fiocco 		Federal Conscience: Sheltering the Homeless Central High School
Alternate 2:
Scott Brooks 		The My Lai Massacre: The Wrong Way to Kill Sparta High School
Junior Individual Exhibits
National Finalist:
Elisabeth Howell-Little 		I Don't Need a Gun to Serve My Country: The Rights and Responsibilities of a Conscientious Objector Medic in Vietnam EAGLE School of Madison
National Finalist:
Shane Hansen 		Showdown in the South: Freedom Riders Fight for the Right to Ride Free D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 1:
Bethany Fleischman 		The Port Washington Draft Riot: Wisconsin Farmers Protest Their Rights Against the Civil War D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 2:
Kevin Ammon Wilde 		Children without Childhood: The Neglect of Children's Rights During the Industrial Revolution Home School
Junior Group Exhibits
National Finalists:
Kelsey Stretsbery
Abby Jackson 		Women's Responsibility in the Military: "The Right to Fight?" D.C. Everest Junior High School
National Finalists:
Katie VanEs
Alisha Bube 		Milk Strikes of 1933 Northstar Middle School
Alternate 1:
Casey Schulner
Amanda Smrstick 		No Way Out: Triangle Shirt Waist Fire Northstar Middle School
Alternate 2:
Mary Zeller
Maggie Karls
Trisha Pedone 		Friends! Brethren! Countrymen! St. James School
Senior Individual Exhibits
National Finalist:
Lauren Korthof 		The right not to be a mother: Margaret Sanger & Birth Control Waukesha South High School
National Finalist:
Tessa Maier 		Dr. Josef Mengele: A doctor's responsibility to help not harm D.C. Everest High School
Alternate 1:
Sheffia Lenox 		The Different Sides to Milwaukee's Civil Rights Movement Edgerton High School
Alternate 2:
Michael Herold 		John Muir: Mission to Maintain Central High School
Senior Group Exhibits
National Finalists:
Naomi Lindsay
Maggie Szarkowski 		A City Divided: The History of the Berlin Wall D.C. Everest High School
National Finalists:
Rachel Peterson
Kim Jansen 		Resisting the Draft: Moral and Political Opposition During the Vietnam War Monona Grove High School
Alternate 1:
Ryan Smuda
Kassidy Malak 		U.S. Government vs. Japanese Americans: Violation of Civil Rights Through Internment Camps D.C. Everest High School
Alternate 2:
Amy Wallner
Kara Zwickey 		Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens in Ancient Athens G-E-T High School
Junior Individual Performances
National Finalist:
Katherine Peck 		Angelina Grimke Weld: "I Will Lift Up My Voice" SOTA II
National Finalist:
Julie Lee 		The Dust of Life: The Vietnam War and Hmong Rights D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 1:
Emily Haas 		Child Labor: The Irresponsible Violation of Child Rights D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 2:
Levi Prombaum 		Politics, Painters, and People: The Rights and Responsibilities of the National Endowment for the Arts in its Rocky Past and Uncertain Future Lincoln Middle School
Junior Group Performances
National Finalists:
Rachel Evans
Vienna Trindal
Emily Valine
Janelle VanderKelen
Courtney Lawyer 		Babies in the Mill: The Crusade Against Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution Home School
National Finalists:
Cassie Lucchesi
Michelle Weissinger
Megan Rosa 		It's a Rich Man's War but a Poor Man's Right West Milwaukee Middle School
Alternate 1:
Monica Fallon
Madeleine Swenson 		Lewis Hine: Viewing Human Rights Through a Different Lens St. James School
Alternate 2:
Elizabeth Siebenlist
Kim Johnson
Jessica Stapleton
Secquoyah Taylor 		Women's Suffrage West Milwaukee Middle School
Senior Individual Performances
National Finalist:
Janet Yearous 		From Truck Drivers to Typists and Clerks to Cops: The Rights and Responsibilities of Women in World War II Lancaster High School
National Finalist:
Anne Marie Wilde 		Seasons Without Sunshine: Women and Children During the Industrial Revolution Home School
Alternate 1:
Melissa Milligan 		To Keep a Light Shawano High School
Alternate 2:
James Boland 		Hollywood Did Their Bit for the War Effort During WWII Waukesha South High School
Senior Group Performances
National Finalists:
Amber Zobeck
Carrie Collister
Samantha Schubnel
Jamie Galstad 		Women of the Ages: The Rights and Responsibilities of Women Central High School
National Finalists:
Caroline Fallon
Anne Marie Rodriguez 		Victor Berger: Striving to Spread Milwaukee's Voice James Madison Memorial High School
Alternate 1:
Rae Ann Bochanyin
Kelsey Knoedler
Jessica Jurgella
Gideon Griesbach 		The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Mosinee High School
Alternate 2:
Katie Belitz
Stacy Kohls 		Sati, The Burning of Widows in India: A Right of Responsibility Sheboygan North High School
Junior Individual Documentaries
National Finalist:
Robin Bates 		Recognizing Responsibility: Documenting a Country in Need Lincoln Middle School
National Finalist:
Kimberly Szews 		Equal Rights Amendment: Rights and Responsibilities of Women D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 1:
Lindsey Litrenta 		Brown v Board of Education: Leading the Way in the Fight for Equal Rights of African-Americans D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 2:
Marcus Gores 		"Burning Old Glory": Protected Right or Irresponsible Protest SOTA II
Junior Group Documentaries
National Finalists:
Mitch Goertz
Justin Luetschwager 		Hank Aaron: Fighting for Rights and Responsibilities of African-Americans in Baseball D.C. Everest Junior High School
National Finalists:
Megan Leischer
Liz Pophal 		The Vietnam Anti-War Movement: When Protesters Go Too Far D.C. Everest Junior High School
Alternate 1:
Michaelene Wolf
Jade Johnson
Kaylene Holman 		Frederick Douglass and His Fight for Freedom Northstar Middle School
Alternate 2:
Wendy Loos
Lisa Daniels 		The Transcontinental Railroad: The Right to "TRACK" Across the Country D.C. Everest Junior High School
Senior Individual Documentaries
National Finalist:
Doug Shultz 		Sati: The Burning of a Widow Sheboygan North High School
National Finalist:
Ryan Clark 		The Sound of Change and the Right of Expression: The Right to be Different, Equal and Free D.C. Everest High School
Alternate 1:
Melissa Campbell 		Across the Lines: The Central High School Story West Salem High School
Alternate 2:
Eric Conrad 		Black Power: A Documentary D.C. Everest High School
Senior Group Documentaries
National Finalists:
David Fiocco
Peter Ruud 		The Palmer Raids: Overstepping Boundaries; Trampling Rights Central High School
National Finalists:
Alicia Gunnerson
Becky Hirn 		Soldiers Without Guns: The Rights and Responsibilities of Women's Baseball D.C. Everest High School
Alternate 1:
Brittany Wilcox
Max Fronek 		Protest Jazz: The Right to Sing Your Mind D.C. Everest High School
Alternate 2:
Erika Biermeier
Whitney Adams
Elisa Hope
Mallory Davis 		NAGPRA Heritage Christian Schools

Wisconsin History Award
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society

Junior Division Individual Performance
Mari Morrison, St. James School 		Ada James: Her Life and Achievements
Senior Division Group Documentary
Matt Messner and Ben Spike
Edgerton High School 		The Liberation of Italy

The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Prize
for Military History

Junior Division Individual Exhibit
Bethany Fleischman
D.C. Everest Junior High 		The Port Washington Draft Riot
Senior Division Group Exhibit
Ryan Smuda and Kassidy Malak
D.C. Everest High School 		US Government vs. Japanese Americans: Violation of Civil Rights Through Internment Camps

The State Bar of Wisconsin Prize for Law
and Wisconsin History

Junior Division Individual Exhibit
Amber Morris
West Milwaukee Middle School 		Women's Rights
Senior Division Paper
Jessica Porath
D.C. Everest High School 		Lavinia Goodell: The Right to Be a Lawyer in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin History Publication Award
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Senior Division Paper
Alex Wagner
Monona Grove High School 		"Fighting" Bob La Follette: Many Successes, Critical Failures

The Siemens Corporation Innovation in History Award

Individual Exhibit
Brent Upton
McKinley Middle School 		Charles Babbage and the Analytical Engine
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