Blinn College’s Star of the Republic Museum announces history fair winners

Approximately 200 students participate in 2018 Brazos Valley Regional History Fair

February 13, 2018

Intrigued by her grandfather’s participation in the Vietnam War, Brenham Junior High School student Aidan Hord jumped at the opportunity to use her school’s annual history fair to dive deeper into her family’s past.

Armed with her 2,000-word research paper, the 13-year-old joined approximately 200 junior high and high school students Friday as they put their historical knowledge on display during the 2018 Brazos Valley Regional History Fair at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site.

Sponsored by Blinn College’s Star of the Republic Museum and local businesses and organizations, the theme for this year’s history was “Conflict and Compromise.” Entries were open to students in grades 6-12 who qualified for the regional competition by competing in their local school history fair.

This year, 205 students from Brazos, Grimes, and Washington counties presented 111 projects.

Aidan Hord of Brenham Junior High School earned first place for her historical paper, “The Vietnam War: Conflicting Opinions, Compromised Values,” at the 2018 Brazos Valley Regional History Fair held at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site.

“I love being able to come out here with my friends and compete with students from other schools,” said Hord, who earned first place for her historical paper, “The Vietnam War: Conflicting Opinions, Compromised Values.” “The history fair has not only taught me how to present my project in front of an audience, but also taught me to have confidence in myself and my work.”

Project categories include historical paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, and interpretive website. Blinn College faculty, area educators, volunteers from local historical commissions, and history enthusiasts from the community judged the submissions. The two finalists in each category advance to the state competition April 28 in Austin. Winners at the state fair can advance to the National History Day competition held at the University of Maryland in June.

“The history fair is a great opportunity to engage students in history and allows them to be historians for the day,” said Lisa Berg, Star of the Republic Museum Curator of Education and coordinator of the Brazos Valley Regional History Fair. “It is very exciting to see the students share what they have learned throughout the year.”

Star of the Republic Museum is located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site off state Highway 105. It was created by the Texas Legislature and is administered by Blinn College as a cultural and educational institution. Daily museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Beginning March 3, Star of the Republic Museum is unveiling a new exhibit called “So Other Could Follow: Four Centuries of Maps that Define Texas.” Using maps of Texas from the museum’s collection, the exhibit will explore how early maps were created and how they evolved over time.

For more information, call 936-878-2461 or visit www.starmuseum.org.

Caroline Murphy of Brenham Junior High School presented “How They Rocked The World” at the 2018 Brazos Valley Regional History Fair held at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS:

JUNIOR HISTORICAL PAPER
Aidan Hord, Brenham Junior High School – The Vietnam War: Conflicting Opinions, Compromised Values

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY
Caroline McCall, Stephen F. Austin Middle School – Dueling: A Gentleman's Response

JUNIOR GROUP DOCUMENTARY
Tabatha Acosta and Gabriela Lopez, Navasota Junior High – The Peace of Utrecht

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Leah Hardy, Brenham Junior High School – Countdown to Equality

JUNIOR GROUP PERFORMANCE
Kaylee Burnett, Marisa Goode, Gianna Guedea, and Corynn Young, Arthur L. Davila Middle School – Salem Witch Trials

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT
Kinsley Mendoza, Brenham Junior High School – Language Wars

JUNIOR GROUP EXHIBIT
Madison Mayes and Alyssa Moore, Stephen F. Austin Middle School – Emancipation Proclamation

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE
Brady Lawhorn, Brenham Junior High School – The Sooner, the Better

JUNIOR GROUP WEBSITE
Maya Richards and Brandy Winkle, Stephen F. Austin Middle School – Desegregation of a Texas Town: Conflict and Compromise in Bryan Schools

SENIOR HISTORICAL PAPER
Johnny Dominguez, Navasota High School – Dorothy Day: The Great Christian Revolution

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY
San Juanita Sigona Montemayor, Navasota High School – School Segregation: Hispanics Not Allowed

SENIOR GROUP DOCUMENTARY
Kristina Corona and Guadalupe Monico, Navasota High School – The Beginning of an American Horror Story

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Alexis Kirsch, Anderson-Shiro High School – The Salem Witch Trials, A Slam Poem

SENIOR GROUP PERFORMANCE
Antonio Gonzales, Jai Obrien, Keith Steptoe, and Logan Vela, Navasota High School – A Short Story: The XYZ Affair

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT
Freddy Puentes, Navasota High School – Wanted!: The Outlaw Country Movement of the 1970s

SENIOR GROUP EXHIBIT
Ismael Gonzalez, Diego Iniguez, Trysta Quezada, and Carlos Santoy, Navasota High School – The Man Who Saved The World

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE
McKenna Holloway, Anderson-Shiro High School – The Coal Strike of 1902

SENIOR GROUP WEBSITE
Madison Bowman, Dakota McDaniel, and Chelsie Neely, Navasota High School – Formation of the United Nations

SPECIAL AWARDS:

ALLEN COMMANDER MEMORIAL TEXAS HISTORY AWARD
Amber Allen, Navasota High School – Come and Take It: The Beginning of the Texas Revolution

ARTIE FULTZ DAVIS LEGAL HISTORY AWARD
Kinsley Mendoza, Brenham Junior High School – Language Wars

BRAZOS COUNTY AWARD
Junior: Madison Mayes, Stephen F. Austin Middle School – Emancipation Proclamation
Senior: Jo Naidu, College Station High School – FARC vs Colombian Government

GRIMES COUNTY AWARD
Junior: Orlando Spears, Navasota Junior High School – Vietnam War
Senior: Freddy Puentes, Navasota High School – Wanted!: The Outlaw Country Movement of the 1970s

MIKE HOPKINS MEMORIAL TEXAS HISTORY AWARD
Liceth Meza, Arthur L. Davila Middle School – Camp Hearne

OUTSTANDING EXHIBIT DESIGN AWARD
Liceth Meza, Arthur L. Davila Middle School – Camp Hearne

RELIGION IN AMERICA AWARD
Junior: Ariana Gonzalez, Jenna Strode, and Alexia Nobles, Navasota Junior High School – Salem Witch Trials
Senior: Johnny Dominguez, Navasota High School – Dorothy Day: The Great Christian Revolution

ROBERT RAINES CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AWARD
Johnny Dominguez, Navasota High School – Dorothy Day: The Great Christian Revolution

STUDENT CHOICE AWARD
Junior: Josey Imhoff and Ceily Simpton, Anderson-Shiro High School – Women in Aggieland
Senior: Freddy Puentes, Navasota High School – Wanted!: The Outlaw Country Movement of the 1970s

THEATER ARTS AWARD
Junior: Robin Aguilar, Brenham Junior High School – Selling Souls for Sugar
Senior: Ian Campbell, Jose Coronilla, Evin Diaz, Gail Evans, and Manuel Garza, Navasota Junior High School – O.J. Simpson: The Trial of the Century

WASHINGTON COUNTY AWARD
Aidan Hord, Brenham Junior High School – The Vietnam War: Conflicting Opinions, Compromised Values

WOMEN IN HISTORY AWARD
Junior: Grace Droddy, Arthur L. Davila Middle School – Votes for Women
Senior: Kyndal Bohnert, Aiden Hackenberg, Maryn Lara, Abby Ross, and Mason Soltow, Anderson-Shiro High School – Admitting Women into Texas A&M University

ZUBER—HADLEY CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS AWARD
Maya Richards and Brandy Winkle, Stephen F. Austin Middle School – Desegregation of a Texas Town: Conflict and Compromise in Bryan Schools