Laura
06-16-2007, 11:21 AM
By doing research and writing about the former Willowbrook State School.
Island teen's project on Willowbrook State School places 1st in national contest
Friday, June 15, 2007
By DANIELLE RUBINO
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
A Staten Island seventh-grader who painstakingly delved into the history of the Willowbrook State School has placed first nationwide in the junior individual exhibit category of the National History Day program.
James Marlow, 13, of Randall Manor, received a gold medal and a $1,000 cash prize in a ceremony yesterday at the Cole Fieldhouse of the University of Maryland, College Park, that was Web-cast by the History Channel.
The award capped a three-day program in the nation's capital that included James' showcasing his 6-foot-high display board, "Willowbrook State School: From Atrocities to Sweeping Reforms," on Wednesday at the National Archives. James, who also took top honors in the city and state National History Day competitions, was one of five young historians out of 2,000 finalists so honored.
"I chose the Willowbrook School because it represented the topic ("Triumph and Tragedy") well," said James, a student in the Genesis program at Brooklyn's Xaverian High School.
"The school had many tragedies, but since the closing (the triumph), people are now aware of the horrors and have learned that this can't repeat itself."
While in Washington, D.C., James met Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), rode with him on the congressional subway and got to stand on the House floor prior to a vote. He also had his photograph taken with the lawmaker at the Capitol.
"I'm very proud of him," said Fossella. "It's a great accomplishment. He's a kind, intelligent young man. He has a bright future. It took a year for him to get to get to this point, and hard work pays off."
Indeed, in a year-long process, James attended meetings of survivors, went through archives at the College of Staten Island and devoured books and myriad newspaper articles.
Willowbrook, an institution for the developmentally disabled, was described as a "snakepit" by Robert F. Kennedy. Its abuses were chronicled by Advance reporter Jane Curtin and journalist Geraldo Rivera. A class-action lawsuit led a federal judge in 1975 to order that the residents be moved to group homes. The school was officially shuttered in 1987 and the last of the residents relocated in 1993.
Speaking about his trip to Washington with his parents, Maureen and Tom Marlow, and his meeting with Fossella, James said, "It was really nice and fun." He plans to participate in next year's National History Day contest, the theme of which is "Conflict and Compromise."
Every year, the National History Day program, a campaign to change the way history is taught and learned, attracts more than a half-million contestants in grades six through 12 nationwide. The city portion of the contest is administered by the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children's Center at the Museum of the City of New York. Story from the Staten Island Advance via silive.com
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1181910616241800.xml&coll=1
Island teen's project on Willowbrook State School places 1st in national contest
Friday, June 15, 2007
By DANIELLE RUBINO
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
A Staten Island seventh-grader who painstakingly delved into the history of the Willowbrook State School has placed first nationwide in the junior individual exhibit category of the National History Day program.
James Marlow, 13, of Randall Manor, received a gold medal and a $1,000 cash prize in a ceremony yesterday at the Cole Fieldhouse of the University of Maryland, College Park, that was Web-cast by the History Channel.
The award capped a three-day program in the nation's capital that included James' showcasing his 6-foot-high display board, "Willowbrook State School: From Atrocities to Sweeping Reforms," on Wednesday at the National Archives. James, who also took top honors in the city and state National History Day competitions, was one of five young historians out of 2,000 finalists so honored.
"I chose the Willowbrook School because it represented the topic ("Triumph and Tragedy") well," said James, a student in the Genesis program at Brooklyn's Xaverian High School.
"The school had many tragedies, but since the closing (the triumph), people are now aware of the horrors and have learned that this can't repeat itself."
While in Washington, D.C., James met Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), rode with him on the congressional subway and got to stand on the House floor prior to a vote. He also had his photograph taken with the lawmaker at the Capitol.
"I'm very proud of him," said Fossella. "It's a great accomplishment. He's a kind, intelligent young man. He has a bright future. It took a year for him to get to get to this point, and hard work pays off."
Indeed, in a year-long process, James attended meetings of survivors, went through archives at the College of Staten Island and devoured books and myriad newspaper articles.
Willowbrook, an institution for the developmentally disabled, was described as a "snakepit" by Robert F. Kennedy. Its abuses were chronicled by Advance reporter Jane Curtin and journalist Geraldo Rivera. A class-action lawsuit led a federal judge in 1975 to order that the residents be moved to group homes. The school was officially shuttered in 1987 and the last of the residents relocated in 1993.
Speaking about his trip to Washington with his parents, Maureen and Tom Marlow, and his meeting with Fossella, James said, "It was really nice and fun." He plans to participate in next year's National History Day contest, the theme of which is "Conflict and Compromise."
Every year, the National History Day program, a campaign to change the way history is taught and learned, attracts more than a half-million contestants in grades six through 12 nationwide. The city portion of the contest is administered by the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children's Center at the Museum of the City of New York. Story from the Staten Island Advance via silive.com
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1181910616241800.xml&coll=1