Community

Regional Social Studies Fair Held at Grand Vue Park in Moundsville

Photo by Shelley Hanson

MOUNDSVILLE - For several students from around the Northern Panhandle, their handle on social studies has them moving onto an even bigger competition.

Dozens of students competed in a regional social studies fair in Moundsville on Friday. The top winners will now go on to compete at a state-level competition on April 14 in Charleston. Students in grades third through high school from schools in Marshall, Brooke, Ohio and Wetzel Counties participated in the regional event held at Grand Vue Park.

Wendy Clutter, the event's co-coordinator and principal at Cameron Elementary School, said while more than one student could receive a blue ribbon, or first place, in a category, only the top scorer would go on to the state-level competition in their category.

There were also a few students who scored a perfect, or 100%, score. They are:

-- Parker Maquire, Ohio County, "The Rubiks Cube: A Minute to Learn, A Lifetime to Master," under the Anthropology category, Division 1;

-- Cael Skrzypek and Spencer Benedict, Ohio County, "The Economy of Marx Toys," category of Economics, Division 1;

-- Ella Allender, "Finders Keepers," Marshall County, category of Political Science, Division 1;

-- Zoe Zervos, "It's All Greek to Me: Greek Dessert Origins," Marshall County, category of Anthropology, Division 2;

-- Emily Gatts, "Great Wolf Lodge Evolution," Marshall County, category of Economics, Division 2;

-- Maria Faulstick, "How NASA Changed America," Marshall County, category of Political Science, Division 2;

-- Chloe Picket, "Irena Sendler/Polish Resistance World War II," Marshall County, category of Sociology, Division 2;

-- Leah Skidgel, "Pepperoni Rolls: Taste of WV," Marshall County, category of State and Local Studies, Division 2;

-- Addy Gast and Kyla Stricklin, "Wheeling Suspension Bridge," Marshall County, category of State and Local Studies, Division 2;

-- Allison McGraw, "Ellis Island: Liberty's Golden Door," Marshall County, category of U.S. History, Division 2; and

-- Chase Fromhart and Connor Fromhart, "Alcatraz: The Great Escape," Marshall County, category of U.S. History, Division 2.

"To make it to regional, the children had to win at their school level and their county level," Clutter said.

The students, she noted, had to do research, write an abstract, make a board for the judges to see and read, include artifacts, and also do a presentation for the judges during the competition. Some of the students also opted to wear costumes, too.

Clutter noted she co-coordinates the event with Erica Holt.

Allison McGraw, an eighth grader at Sherrard Middle School, was among the students who received a 100% score and will go on to compete at the state level. She said she enjoyed researching Ellis Island, as her great-great-grandparents, Mary and Jerry Rodriguez, came to the U.S. from Spain and came through Ellis Island.

"We have all the original documents from when they came through," she said. "I used those for my artifacts for my project."

McGraw said it was inspiring to learn what her great great grandparents went through and how they persevered.

"Now I have the opportunity to do anything I want to do because they so many years ago came to the United States," she said.

McGraw said she enjoys the social studies fair and the category of U.S. History.

"The social studies fair is my jam," she said.

McGraw has competed at the state level twice before and won both times.