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Charlie Chaplin’s looking for his room assignment. A zoot suiter is warming up on his sax. Benjamin Franklin has just registered and is checking out the competition.
Lots of young people are in costume, but it’s not Halloween. It’s Ohio History Day, and more than 600 middle school and high school students from across the state are gathering at The Ohio State University to show what they’ve learned about the relationship between communication and history, the theme of the event.
History Day, a WOSU television documentary, shows it’s a high-stakes day filled with anxious presenters, nervous parents, confident teachers, and many impressive displays of scholarship and drama.
“History Day is most easily thought of as a science fair for history,” explains Sara Bendure, special project administrator for the Ohio Historical Society. Students present exhibits, documentaries, papers, and dramatic presentations about the topic. “We sponsor it because it’s a wonderful way to get students engaged in history, and it introduces them to the field of history and what historians do.”
Despite trouble with the wiring on his exhibit about the development of telegraphy, Steven Aviram, a student from Cleveland, is optimistic after his visit with judges peering over their glasses and writing on clipboards. “I’m pretty happy. The judges seemed to like it a lot. It’s fun to tell everyone what you’ve learned during your project.”
The judges will be looking at hundreds of exhibits on a variety of subjects, including China’s Forbidden City, civil rights sit-ins, Holocaust diaries, the Underground Railroad, and how Vietnam POWs secretly communicated with one another.
The documentary shows there’s also excitement and energy downstairs where dozens of young performers await their turn to portray such diverse figures as temperance activist Carry A. Nation, a Navajo code talker, Rosie the Riveter, a jazz musician, and Bella Abzug. Michael Bohl of Shaker Heights apparently likes his wig and brocade coat—he’ll wear the costume all day, even at the awards ceremony.
“I got interested in Benjamin Franklin because it was suggested by my teacher. But then I started looking at books that called him ‘the first true American’ and things like that. And I looked into his book and it was a rather humorous book and I just thought it fit my personality.”
The WOSU documentary shows that for these students, history is more than something you read about in a textbook. It’s a noisy, vibrant, hands-on exercise that could end with an award and a trip to represent Ohio at the prestigious National History Day in Maryland.
“Students spend so much time working on key aspects of their entries that it’s really inspiring,” says Bendure. “It’s awe inspiring that they’ve found something they’re so passionate about.”
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