Students compete in history day

Nearly four-dozen Iowa students are in Maryland today for the NationalHistory Day finals. Organizers of the event in Iowa say the competition formiddle and high schoolers is based loosely on a science fair-style ofcontest.Crystal Bailey is coordinator of Iowa History Day. She says there are 46Iowans in College Park, Maryland, for the competition which begins today andruns through Wednesday. Bailey says one student, Laura Westercamp of CedarRapids, did her report on atomic energy and the atomic bomb.Other projects range from Walt Disney’s animation magic to technology andthe Titanic. While it’s important that these students learn research andpresentation skills AND learn about history, Bailey says it’s also a greatway for them to earn money for college.The national winners will be announced on Thursday. Besides the 46 Iowastudents, Bailey’s delegation to the nationals numbers about 120, with allthe teachers and family members who’ve gone along to witness the event.