[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 107 (Friday, July 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S8382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ISABEL STUDENT HONORED

 Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I would like to bring to my 
colleagues' attention the outstanding efforts of a young man from my 
home State. Ryan Maher is a senior from Isabel High School in Isabel, 
SD. Recently, Ryan placed second in his region and first in the State 
competitions to advance to the national competition for National 
History Day.
  National History Day is a 5-day event held in June at the University 
of Maryland in College Park. The annual competition is now entering its 
third decade. Today, 400,000 students and 50,000 teachers and media 
specialists participate. National History Day is an excellent way to 
encourage students to be more active in learning United States history.
  Every year National History Day is centered around a specific theme. 
The theme of this year's competition was ``Taking a Stand.'' There are 
two levels of competition, the junior level is 6th through 8th grades 
and the senior division includes grades 9 through 12. Categories 
include research paper, group or individual presentation, display 
presentation, or performance.
  Ryan competed in the senior division with a display presentation 
entitled, ``Dakota Farmer: Battling the Elements.'' Like other students 
who were a part of the competition, he spent countless hours 
researching and developing his project. He incorporated interviews with 
his grandfather and other farmers from the area, together with old 
photographs, to tell the history of working South Dakota land. Ryan 
became interested in the subject after he had written a paper on 
farming and the dust bowl years of the thirties. This was the second 
time Ryan participated in the nationwide competition.
  Ryan won the honor of having his project displayed in the Smithsonian 
Museum of American History on Wednesday, June 12, 1996. Projects were 
judged on several criteria, including relation to annual theme, 
analysis of information, and historical perspective. The honor of 
having one's work displayed in the Smithsonian Museum of American 
History and earning the trip to our Nation's Capital are great rewards 
to students such as Ryan. I highly commend Ryan Maher for his 
outstanding academic efforts.

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