Feb. 28, 2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

SMC to Host Region 4 of South Carolina National History Day Competition

More than 200 Students From Across Upstate Expected to Participate 

SPARTANBURG, SC –  Spartanburg Methodist College will host Region 4 of the South Carolina National History Day Competition this Thursday, March 1.  

About 235 students from across Region 4 will take part in the competition which is sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Humanities Council.  The competition is divided into a Junior Division, consisting of grades 6 – 8, and a Senior Division, consisting of grades 9 – 12. Region 4 consists of Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Laurens counties. 

The National History Day competition affords students in grades 6-12 the opportunity to study historical issues, ideas, people and events through research and hands-on projects.  Working in groups or as individuals, students present the results of their work through exhibits, documentaries, group and individual performances, websites, and historical papers.   

Students have chosen historic topics that relate to the theme of Triumph and Tragedy in History as the basis for their projects. 

During the competition, projects will be evaluated by teams of three judges from the Spartanburg area, including SMC faculty and staff, with winners advancing to the state competition in Columbia. State level winners will advance to a national competition. 

“We are very excited to both host and participate in the judging of this contest,” says Ann Bowles, Spartanburg Methodist College Vice-President for Academic Affairs. 

“The entries are always very unique and provide an excellent learning experience for the participating students. Hands on learning provides students a much more interactive element, allows them to showcase their skills, and helps them further understand the importance of historical study and preservation,” she adds. 

Spartanburg Methodist College has shared hosting duties of the Region 4 competition since 1999 with other Upstate colleges. The program was started at Case Western Reserve University in 1974 and became a national program in 1981. 

State finals will be held April 28 in Columbia, followed by the national contest June 10-14 at the University of Maryland at College Park. 

“National History Day in South Carolina is a lot more than a contest,” says Joel Walker, state coordinator of National History Day in South Carolina. 

“It’s an opportunity for students to not only become historians but to share their research and their findings with college professors,  professional historians, and professional educators.  These students learn that history is a lot more than names and dates.  Our history makes us who we are.  These students understand that and knowing who we are and where we come from will help these students to be better citizens and help them make the kinds of the decisions that will lead us to a better future.”   

For more information, please contact public information director Brian Fulkerson at (864) 587-4254 or Joel Walker at (803) 896-6212.

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