By Eric Erickson
History Day Regional Qualifiers
History Day at Como featured the research and final products of 11th grade U.S. History students and any other students who desired to produce a history project in addition to their existing coursework.
This year’s theme was “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” Como students submitted their projects during the last week in January. Those students advancing to St. Paul regional competition (whose deadline submission is March 8) include the following:
Group documentary: Paw Wah, Gay Nee Thaw, Kabao Xiong for “The Stonewall Riots.”
Individual documentary: Chaa Kong Vang for “Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone.”
Website: Kai Sackreiter, Soren Sackreiter, Alice Wagner-Hamstad, and Zach Bollman “For the Love of Learning: MECC and Communication Through Educational Technology.”
Virtual exhibit: Kazaaron Tallman for “Montgomery Bus Boycott,” Tuan Dinh for “Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Taylor Fairbanks for “A Fight for the People’s Land,” Pang Xiong for “Magna Carta” and Shakyla Walker for “Malcolm X.”
Prestigious fellowship for Como alumnus
Marie Wulff, a 2017 Como High graduate and now a senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in electrical engineering, was selected as a recipient of the Brooke Owens Fellowship.
After a competitive application process and multiple interviews, Wulff was chosen as one of 44 fellowship recipients from among more than 800 applicants from Ivy League universities, major research universities, liberal arts colleges and major international universities, according to a Brooke Owens program press release.
The fellowship includes a paid internship, mentorship and a lifelong professional network for women seeking a career in aviation or space exploration. Wulff’s placement and work in aerospace will be at Planet Labs in San Francisco, Calif., beginning this summer.
Schedule changes
At the Bugle’s deadline, while the youngest students in the St. Paul Public Schools returned to in-person learning on Feb. 4, high school students still continued with distance learning.
At Como, and all the other SPPS high schools, plans were underway to transition some English Language Learners, special education and credit deficient students into in-person academic support. While all plans are fluid based on public health, teachers are scheduled to deliver online classes in the mornings, then be at school to provide academic support in the afternoons.
For most Como students, the district changes mean fewer “live” virtual classes and more asynchronous work time for the third academic quarter of the year. With some good fortune, students in the class of 2021 will get the chance to attend at least some classes in their school building for the fourth quarter before they graduate.
Eric Erickson is a social studies teacher at Como Park Senior High School.
