Michigan History Day

The biggest challenge was figuring out how to enact the Kentucky Raid in ten minutes with a cast of five. Taylor Herwick was assigned four different characters. She was not happy about this heavy load at first, but when she discovered she had the acting chops to pull it off, it became a badge of honor. Kennedy Brooks portrayed three different characters. Anna Leach is related to several of the Quaker families that actually took part in the Kentucky Raid; she portrayed her ancestors. Madison King played a young mother and freedom seeker. Otto Reick played Kentuckian Rev A E Stevens, the primary bad guy. He was quite convincing!

The Sam Adams team not only won the Youth Group Performance Division, but they won the overall Youth Michigan History Day award on Saturday April 26, in Saline. It doesn’t get any better.

Saturday practices were added to the schedule. The team learned about primary and secondary sources, and paid a visit to the Cassopolis Historical Library, where they discovered a wealth of information about the Kentucky Raid. Parents, particularly Tina Reick, got behind the project in a big way.

After winning the regionals in Kalamazoo, the team went on a tour of Underground Railroad sites in Cass County. Bill and Brenda Beadenkopf, co-Chairs of the UGRR Society’s Research Committee, provided the tour.

Since Andrews has an arts and theatre background, she suggested a group performance depicting the Kentucky Raid. Fifth grade teacher Felomina Patton responded with enthusiasm.

Andrews and Patton began asking kids to stay after school to practice two days per week beginning in October. UGRR intern Kelly Thammavongsa joined the team in November. She had previously served as a Michigan History Day judge, and explained to the students that though their performance would be important, their research would count for 60% of their total score.

It started last September (2013) when Charline Nyomo suggested that the Education Committee of the Underground Railroad Society meet with Tamara Barnes, Assistant Director for Diversity and Outreach, Historical Society of Michigan. The Historical Society sponsors Michigan History Day, and Tamara Barnes was in the area working to get more school districts involved.

Michigan History Day champs show off their awards

Ruth Andrews, Chair of the UGRR’s Education Committee,

was immediately attracted to the project. It would piggy-back nicely with last year’s UGRR Wax Museum effort, which had already introduced manys students to the Underground Railroad.

from left-- Sam Adams students Madison King, Kennedy Brooks,
Otto Reick IV, Anna Leach and Taylor Herwick

Click Here for the Video

Press Release April 26, 2014

Cassopolis – What would it feel like to become a state champion as a 4th or 5th grader? Ask Kennedy Brooks, 4th grade, Taylor Herwick 5th grade, Madison King, 5th grade, Anna Leach, 4th grade, or Otto Reick IV, 5th grade. They’ll tell you it feels unbelievable!

This is the first year students from Sam Adams Middle School in Cassopolis, MI participated in Michigan History Day, so no one, not the students, their teachers, coaches or parents, knew what they were getting into. It turned out to be more time-consuming, more challenging, more educational and more fun than anyone imagined.

“Sam Adams Team Wins State Championship”

Underground Railroad Society

of Cass County, Michigan

urscc.org