In Late April 2021, second year history and philosophy of science M.A. student, Kathleen McHugh, served as a judge for Oregon History Day, a “student-directed, project-based, interdisciplinary learning program” operated by the Oregon Historical Society. The annual program is open to all Oregon based middle and high school students.
McHugh applied to be a judge in early 2021, and when she learned she got the position, she prepared by reviewing the scoring rubric and judge’s manual. During week-long competition, which because of COVID was held remotely, McHugh was tasked with judging the “performance category.” In this role, she reviewed videos and scripts of historic reenactments. She scored each entry based on various metrics. At the end of the week, McHugh and the other two judges met remotely to discuss the entries. Once they reached a consensus their results were sent to the students. Winners move to the National History Day competition.
McHugh’s first experience with Oregon History Day was overwhelmingly positive. For her, their efforts were even more impressive, because as she put it, “they chose to do this research and these projects in their free time amidst all the challenges of online school and the pandemic.” This kind of dedication certainly made one thing clear to McHugh “the future is bright!”
For those interested in getting involved, information can be found here. As for McHugh, when asked if she would do it again, she answered with an enthusiastic “Definitely!”
CATEGORIES: Graduate Students