Pictured left to right, Conner Murty, Frances Jackson, and Layne Murty at the District National History Day Iowa Competition.

Three local GMG 7th grade students competed at the District National History Day event at Grandview College in Des Moines on Saturday, April 2nd, 2016. Members of the team included Frances Jackson, daughter of Matt and Ann Jackson of rural Garwin and Layne and Conner Murty, sons of Steve and Erin Murty of rural Gladbrook. The students presented a play entitled “Khrushchev and Garst: A Momentary Thaw in the Cold War.” The play takes place in 1958 and 1959 when the Soviets sent a delegation to Iowa to investigate Iowa’s agriculture. From this trip they then decided to accept an invitation from America to come to visit the United States with a history making stop in Iowa to visit ISU and the Garst farm near Coon Rapids, Iowa. The team received a special award as well for best use of a local subject. The team will go on to compete in the State National History Day Contest in Des Moines on April 25th, 2016. NHD is a year-long education program that engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics. Students produce dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries and research papers based on research related to an annual theme. These projects are then evaluated at local, state, and national competitions.