The Daily Mining Gazette - Published: Monday, March 05, 2007 Print Article | Close Window History made real MTU hosts regional one-day event CAPTION: Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette Hancock junior Rachel Toczydlowski explains her exhibit on Marie Curie during the regional competition for Michigan History Day Saturday at Michigan Tech University. By KURT HAUGLIE, DMG Writer HOUGHTON — Rachel Toczydlowski knew a little about Marie Curie before choosing the 19th century scientist as her research subject for the Michigan History Day competitions, but the Hancock High School junior learned much more while developing her project. Toczydlowski was one of 130 students from five Copper Country schools and Marquette High School taking part in the regional competition for Michigan History Day Saturday at the Michigan Tech University Memorial Union Building. She said she chose Curie because she’s planning a career in science. “I’m into scientists and discoveries,” she said. Using historical novels, the Internet and other sources, Toczydlowski said she developed a strong appreciation for what Curie, who did pioneering work with X-rays, went through being a woman in what was at the time a male-dominated field, and what she accomplished in that field. “I was surprised she broke a lot of barriers for women,” Toczydlowski said. Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903, in physics along with her husband, Pierre, and another scientist, Toczydlowski said. She won in 1911, also, on her own for chemistry. “She’s one of only two people to win a prize in two categories,” she said. Larry Wagenaar, executive director of the Historical Society of Michigan in Lansing, the main sponsor of Michigan History Day, said students enter projects at their school and winners take part in the regional competition, which this year was moved from Marquette to Houghton. The theme this year for the state and national competition is Triumph and Tragedy in History. Wagenaar said from the entries in Region 1, which encompasses the western two thirds of the Upper Peninsula, three projects will be chosen to go to the state competition April 28 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn in each of seven categories: individual research papers; individual exhibit; group exhibit; individual performance; group performance; individual documentary and group documentary. The contest is open to junior division entries (grades 6-8) and senior division entries (grades 9-12). The national competition will be held the second week of June at College Park, Md., Wagenaar said. Michigan History Day began two decades ago, Wagenaar said. “It has its roots in the 1980s,” he said. “The Historical Society of Michigan has operated it since 1990.” Wagenaar said entries in the competition statewide doubled in 2006 from what they were in 2005. “There’s a lot of excitement about this,” he said. “It excites kids about history and it develops skills.” Those skills include research, critical thinking and literacy. “It’s things you can use in real life,” Wagenaar said. The schools taking part in the regional competition were Dollar Bay-Tamarack City, Hancock, Houghton-Portage Township, Jeffers, L’Anse and Marquette. Jeffers team members Joy Kinnunen, Jannelle Klemett and Tiffany Liimatta, all eighth graders, chose the sinking of the cruise ship Titanic and some of the people involved with it, including the last survivor, Lillian Gertrude Aspland, who died last year at the age of 99. Klemett said watching the movie, “Titanic,” piqued their interest in the real ship. “We watched the movie and we had some questions we wanted answered,” she said. Those questions were answered, and Liimatta said although it was a lot of work, it was worth it. “It was a fun experience,” she said. Local support for the event was provided by several entities including the Michigan Tech University Department of Social Sciences, the MTU Archives and the Quincy Mine Hoist Association. A complete list of winners will appear in Tuesday’s Daily Mining Gazette. Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com