History Day

This past weekend, UNC hosted National History Day for students of northern Colorado to showcase their history research and nerdiness--including my students from my field work experience. I originally planned on being a judge at the event but I overslept...it was a stressful week. Anywho, as I lay in bed an hour and a half past the time I should have left, I contemplated over what to do...

Option #1 My bed is super comfy. I could just stay here since I have the day off of work and catch up on some sleep from that all-nighter on Wednesday.

Option #2 Get dressed super fast, rush to campus, find the coordinator, and ask if there is anything I could help with on the side since I missed orientation for judging.

Option #3 Get up at a leisurely pace, take a nice shower, eat breakfast, head over to campus, and watch my students' presentations from the audience.

Option #1 was never really an option. I told my students I would be there and they all left class on Thurday saying, "See you Saturday, Ms. T!" and, "Ms. T, you better give us a good score!" Option #2 sounded like suicide. School was especially brutal this week, my allergies attacked me hardcore, and I received some bad news about my grandmother's health--love her heart, always thinking of you Grandma Lois. I was just plain exhausted mentally and physically but I had an obligation to my kids. Option #3 consequently took the cake.

And my oh  my was it some tastey cake! I walked into Ross Hall where the event was held and saw a group of my students who immediately beckoned me over with cries of, "Ms. T, you're here! Did you see our group?!" and "We're up in ten minutes, Ms. T! I'm freaking out! Are you going to watch our presentation?" I sat down to watch students from another school and one of my students got up from her seat to come sit by me. After the presenters exited the front of the room, this pretty little girl proceeded to explain where her group's exhibit was so that I could look at it after presentation and gushed about her project on conspiracy theories of the JFK assassination. My heart just melted :)

I saw the kids who were "freaking out" through their documentary on the youth movements during the Vietnam War protests and talked to other students about how they were up until 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning. Then we all walked to the Univeristy Center for lunch where more relationships with more and more students formed. Following lunch, the award ceremony recognized two groups from my batch of students as first and second placers in their categories...GET SOME!

History nerds in the making!

I'm not the religious type but I believe in serendipity and I am so thankful the universe made my alarm defective that morning so I could oversleep and spend quality time with my students rather than callously marking off points on a clipboard.

Namaste.

Kins