MasonBuzz.com

Divya Takkellapati / Provided photo

Thirteen Mason students earned honors at the National History Day in Ohio contest held Saturday at The Ohio State University.

The History Day competition challenges students to research historical topics related to an annual theme.  This year’s theme was “Turning Points in History.”

Twenty-nine Mason students were invited to submit projects at the state level.  Of those, two were named national finalists, two national alternates, three honorable mentions and two special awards.

Mason sophomore Divya Takkellapati was named a national finalist for her paper, “The Lady with the Lamp: The Start of a Revolution in Healthcare.”

Mason Middle School seventh-grader Ahalya Ramesh was named a national finalist in the junior individual exhibit category with her paper, “The Discovery of Insulin: A Second Chance for the sugar Sickness.”

Both girls will go on to compete against the top national students June 9-13 at the National History Day contest in College Park, Md.

Two students received special prizes:  Mohamed Elzarka, a Mason High School student, won the Ohio Academy of History award for his paper, “The Hijrah: The Impact of a Journey,” while Mason Middle School student Vineet Sai Prasad won the American Founding Award-Ashbrook Center for Public Affair award for his paper, “Declaration of Independence: A Document of our Past.”

Ahalya Ramesh / Provided photo

Mason Middle School students Chinmay Bakshi, Sritej Devineni and Vardhan Avasarala were named national alternates.  Chinmay’s paper addressed “The India and Pakistan Partition” while Sritjej and Vardhan collaborated on a website on the “Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Mason High School students Gokul Muruganantham, Sai Madichetty and Shreetej Reddy and Mason Middle School students Ranjani Ramasubramanian Atneya Nair and Tristan Groenewold received honorable mentions.

This year’s crop of students marks the school’s strongest showing in several years and is the third consecutive year a Mason student has advanced to the national contest, said team adviser Dan Langan.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Ahalya Ramesh, contest, Divya Takkellapati, history day, mason high school, mason middle school, national history day in ohio

Sonia Yeolekar / Photo provided

Two Mason students are among 36 Ohio students headed to Maryland this summer to compete in the National History Day Contest.

The Ohio State University hosted the National History Day in Ohio contest on April 28. The two entries in each division of the competition advance to the national contest, set for June 10-14 at the University of Maryland at College Park.

Mason High School freshman Sonia Yeolekar and Mason Middle School seventh-grader Aditya Jog made the cut and will now compete at the national level.

The annual history competition for students in grades 6-12 challenges students to compete either individually or in groups in five categories including: historical paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website using the theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”

Sonia received an excellent rating for her research paper titled “The Rebellion of Boudica,” referring to the celebrated Celtic queen who led an uprising against the Romans.

Aditya also received a superior rating for his paper titled, “The Salt March: Nonviolent resistance as a vehicle for political reform,” referring to the peaceful protest led by Gandhi against the British salt monopoly in colonial India.

Aditya Jog / Photo provided

Ten other Mason students competed in the Ohio History Day event.

Mason High School

• Melissa Groenewold with an individual documentary film titled “Leymah Gbowee: A Women’s Revolution” which received honorable mention.
• Clayton Lewis with an individual exhibit titled “Athenian Democracy: Redefining the Political Spectrum”,
• Mohamed Elzarka with an individual website titled “Rethinking Roman Progress: Improving a Nation“

Mason Middle School

• Sneha Gundavarpu and Mekhala Rao- Group Documentary- “The Evolution of Uganda during Idi Amin’s Reign” which received honorable mention.
• Annie McBeath- Exhibit- “Down with Dignity: The Rebellion at Masada” which received honorable mention.
• Lizzy Kong – Research Paper “Confucius and Civil Service Reform: A Rise in Social Mobility and Curricular Uniformity in China”
• Akhila Sonti- Research Paper- “Pablo Picasso: A Revolution in Art”
• Sriharsha Voleti- Research Paper- “The Bolshevik Revolution: The Birth of the Soviet Union”
• Jocelyn Kang – Exhibit- “The Unification of Germany: What pieced Germany together”

Erin White, a Mason Middle School social studies teacher, and Dan Langen, who teaches social studies at Mason High School, coached the team.

“We were so proud to have these deep thinkers represent us at the Ohio History Day competition, and are excited to have Sonia and Aditya showcase their projects at the national competition!” said White.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: aditya jog, college park, competition, contest, dan langen, erin white, mason high school, mason middle school, national history day contest, national history day in ohio, rebellion of boudica, salt march, sonia yeolekar, university of maryland