White House Historical Association and Washington Nationals Showcased Winning Videos of White House At Bat Challenge at Nationals Park
Washington, D.C. —
The White House Historical Association and the Washington Nationals announced the winning student submissions to “White House at Bat: A Presidential History Challenge” at Nationals Park on May 27th and unveiled the winning videos on the NatsHD scoreboard just before the game Friday evening.
The White House At Bat Presidential History Challenge asked individual students and student teams in grades 9-12 to create a storyboard examining the Constitutional powers of one of the five Racing Presidents, focusing on decision-making in the White House and considering how executive decisions throughout history have influenced the diverse constituencies that make up the American citizenry. The projects, which have been made into professional videos by the Nationals’ videographers, will also be showcased online.
Winning students and their teachers had the honor of watching the videos from the field before the game. The winning videos can be viewed here.
“An important part of the White House Historical Association’s mission is education – to teach and tell the stories of White House history. This education partnership with the Washington Nationals has engaged these students and the results were terrific. We are looking forward to next year’s Challenge and know it will be as successful as this year's,” said Stewart D. McLaurin, White House Historical Association President.
The winning student teams:
- In the George Washington category, Jeeyoon Lee of Hayfield High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, describes Washington’s precedent-setting decision to leave office after two terms, thus establishing the peaceful transition of power that defines our democracy.
- For Thomas Jefferson, Anusha Jailwala, Vyoma Jani, Ritika Miryala, and Sahiti Nadimpalli from Northwest High School, Germantown, Maryland, highlighted Jefferson’s decision-making process in acquiring the Louisiana Territory in 1803.
- Considering Abraham Lincoln, Northwest High School, Germantown, Maryland, students Janiece Jefferies, Yulong Jones, Natalie Morgan, and Pamela Steimel addressed two of Lincoln’s lesser-known presidential decisions, the signing of the Homestead and Pacific Railroad Acts in 1862.
- Theodore Roosevelt was ably characterized by siblings Sam and Philip O’Sullivan from School Without Walls in Washington, D.C., who focused on TR’s monumental decision to promote the 1906 American Antiquities Act. (Photo below)
- William Howard Taft’s decision to sign Proclamation 1225, which established toll rates on the Panama Canal, is the subject of Taj Ranna’s winning project from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria City, Virginia.
If you are interested in interviewing the winning students and/or Stewart D. McLaurin, president, WHHA, please contact press@whha.org. Also, photos from the event are available upon request.
Media Contacts:
Washington Nationals
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth.Alexander@nationals.com
About the White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
