History Fair

See a list of possible Waco subjects for the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair.

See winners of the 2007 Heart of Texas Regional History Fair Special Award from Waco History Project.

1st PLACE – NATIONAL
History Day - 2005

Deep Inside Enemy Lines, a 10-minute performance created and presented by Lorena Middle School eighth grader Whitney Gafford, was voted best junior individual performance by judges at the event.  Along with her first-place gold medal, Whitney received a cash award of $1000.  Whitney finds herself along with Ruben Santos, Director of HOTRHF in front of the TV cameras at a press conference.
 
 This makes Whitney a national level competitor for three years in a row and a two-time 1st place national winner! !

1st PLACE – NATIONAL
History Day – 2003

Colin Powell, a Lake Air Middle School student, is the creator of a 10 minute play called

A Republic Of Rogues : Pirate Democracy On The Seven Seas

He stands between Mr. Ruben Santos, Director of the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair and Mr. Claude Ervin, Chairman of the Waco Valley Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

The Waco Scottish Rite Bodies financially support all HOTRHF regional winners advancing to Texas History Day in Austin and any regional students advancing on to National History Day in Maryland .

In a brown waistcoat and some buckled shoes, and Colin shows you the ways of a pirate and how they governed themselves on the seven seas.

3rd PLACE NAIONAL
History Day Winner – 2005

Karl Lockhart of Midway Middle School also earned distinction at the national history event, winning a third-place bronze medal and $250 cash award for his documentary, Any Bonds Today? The Story of the Office of War Information .

After winning 2 nd place in his category at Texas History Day Karl received a check and congratulations from Claude Ervin, chairman of the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies. The Waco Scottish Rite Bodies assist the HOTRHRF students advancing though the state and national levels of competition with financial aid for travel and expenses.

1st PLACE—NATIONAL History Day—2004

Drought, Depression, Disaster: Voices from the Dust, a 10-minute play created and presented by Lorena Middle School students Amber Essary, Whitney Gafford, and Shawn McCully.

The inspiration for the seventh-graders' dramatic performance came from more than sixty oral history interviews they conducted with Dust Bowl survivors and descendents in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. This picture was taken during their National presentation. Shawn is singing a ballad of the times while the Amber and Whitney prepare to start a news broadcast. Their play starts with the cause of the Dust Bowl, recreations of events during the Dust Bowl and ends in future years as the trio reflect on how the Dust Bowl was transformed to productive agricultural land.

The HEART OF TEXAS REGIONAL HISTORY FAIR usually takes place on the second Thursday and Friday in February each year. It is open to students in grades 5-12 across 14 counties.

For more information on the HOTRHF and our press release on our featured students go to www.baylor.edu/history_fair/

Contact information:

Dena Martin
Heart of Texas Regional History Fair
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Phone: 254-710-3783 or 1-800-583-3169 ext. 2
Fax: 254-710-3624