History was brought to life earlier this summer by a group of Southwest Florida students who collected big honors at the National History Day competition.
Four Fort Myers High School students were among a collection of middle and high school students from all 50 states and several international schools gathered for the annual event at the University of Maryland in June.
To participate in the event, students pick a moment in history and produce a research project which could take the form of documentaries, exhibits, papers, websites or performances.
The Fort Myers High School students — Benjamin O’Brien, Shawnak Shenoy, Luke Scrabis and Shenard Williams — impressed the judges, coming in second place nationally with a performance about the 16th Amendment, which gave Congress the power to levy and collect taxes.
Williams says the amendment was a perfect fit for the competition’s theme: “Turning Points in History.”
“I think (that) the biggest impact the 16th amendment has had ... is just showing how the government has been able to impact the lives of citizens, for better or worse. For example, a lot of times the governments create a new program like Social Security and create a new regulation agency such as the EPA,” said Williams.
O'Brien added that the 16th Amendment changed how people think of the government.
“The state of taxing and what we should do with government money and what the role the government plays in today's society is like, almost only the only thing that is argued about anymore. You know, it used to be focus on your local congressman or your state congressman or your governor or your mayor," he said. "But now you know, we think that because of the 16th Amendment, that's why everybody focuses on all these national [races].”
The group came up with their project idea when O’Brien was writing a history paper about the New Deal.
“I kind of stumbled across the 16th Amendment because it played a big role in the New Deal with how the tax system worked. And then it was much more than a tax. It completely changed the role the federal government played in everybody's lives,” said O’Brien.
The group did not think that they would get second place because they were so impressed with their competitors, including a group from Korea who did a moving project about the abuse of “comfort women” in the 1930s.
“Everyone there was super well-prepared. So, I was so surprised. I was obviously extremely happy when we got announced, but I was just in like a state of shock,” said Shenoy.
O’Brian added, “We were all super, super pumped. It was just a super memorable moment for all of us.”
As part of the competition, the students toured the University of Maryland, even staying in the student dorms.
Shenoy loved the campus experience.
"I thought the campus was beautiful. I haven't really been to a lot of colleges, so I thought it was so refreshing seeing a very active student life and also such a large campus that had so many things to do.”
“We always go to FSU or UF, the colleges that are really close, but we never go to a place all the way across the country. So it's definitely different. Yeah, and there were hills, which was a change,” said Scrabis.
In their free time between rounds of competition and practicing their performance, they also visited Washington, D.C. There they went to the National Archives and the Capital building and toured Georgetown University since some of the group’s members are interested in pursuing law degrees.
National History Day’s Executive Director, Dr. Cathy Gorn, said the skills students used for their research and projects will help them in their future careers and lives.
“They have shown an incredible level of critical thinking, analysis, and research skills that will benefit them beyond their participation in NHD. I am proud of the students’ achievements this contest year and look forward to how they apply the skills they developed during their research,” said Gorn.
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