Complete State Contest Information: Read, Learn, Pass It On

This post contains information you need to ensure a successful and enjoyable Washington History Day state contest. Please read it carefully. We are looking forward to welcoming all 1,500 of you at Bellevue College on Saturday, May 1.

ARRIVAL: For directions to Bellevue College, click here. If you are coming from the south, please note that I-5 is undergoing major construction and significant delays are predicted. Go to the WSDOT website to learn more about specific closures, and plan your travel time accordingly. At the very least, you should plan to be on campus one hour before your judging time.

When you arrive on campus, proceed to the registration tables in the lobby of the Gym (see campus/parking map). We suggest you park near the Gym, since that is the venue for the awards ceremony (the last event of the day), in lots 16, 17, or 18. Do not park in the parking garage, as it will be closed. Please refer to the attached campus/parking map for additional parking options (lots 6, 8, 10 and 12 are good options).

REGISTRATION: Students and teachers EACH need to pick up their own registration packets at the check-in tables in the Gym lobby. Please allow enough time to do this; your packets contain everything you need for the day. If you have outstanding fees, your registration will be held in contest headquarters so that payment can be made. Registration is open Friday night 5-8:30PM, and Saturday morning 7-10:30AM (after 10:30AM, registration moves to the lobby of Building C). This is also your chance to sign up for a campus tour (see below for details).

T-SHIRT PICKUP: If you pre-ordered a History Day t-shirt, you may pick it up Saturday morning during registration in the Gym lobby. Please remember to bring cash or check only. There may be a few extra shirts for sale if you didn’t order one during online registration.

EXHIBIT SET-UP: The Gym will be open for exhibit set-up on Friday from 5-8:30PM and Saturday from 7-9:15AM only. Do not wait until the last minute to set up your exhibit; the gym will close promptly at 9:15AM for judging. Students must set-up their own exhibit; adult assistance is allowed only for exceptionally heavy or awkward pieces. Contest staff will monitor the Gym to ensure rule compliance. Exhibit students should bring seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and bibliography. Three (3) copies should be left with the exhibit just before judging begins on Saturday; judges will take these with them. After the preliminary round judging ends, students should return to their exhibits by 1:45PM and leave three (3) copies for final round judging in the afternoon. The extra copy is for emergencies—and there are always emergencies, so be sure to bring enough copies with you.

GENERAL SCHEDULE: The general schedule for the contest is available here (look under State/Helpful Information). Please print, copy and distribute as needed. The schedule provides important information about judging times and policies, meals, and public viewing of exhibits, websites and papers.

JUDGING: Exhibits, paper and website judging is closed to the public. Paper and website judging begins at 9AM; all other categories begin at 10AM. Paper and website students need no paperwork; the judges already have it. Exhibit students will be called in a few minutes before their judge time by a volunteer stationed at the Gym door. This is your opportunity to freshen the exhibit, fix any loose ends, etc. Judges will introduce themselves and usually ask students to wait for a few minutes while they read the paperwork and look at the exhibit. Then they’ll conduct the interview. Each judging slot is 15 minutes long.

In performance and documentary categories, audience is welcome to attend but may not ask questions. Cell phones must be turned off and talking should be kept to a minimum to ensure that every student is offered the same opportunity and respect. In the preliminary rounds, performance and documentary students are allowed five minutes to set up, ten minutes to present their projects, and five minutes to tear down. Judges typically ask questions during the last five minutes. Students in these categories should bring seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and bibliography—three for the morning round, three for the afternoon round if they advance, and one for emergencies.

The final round judging begins at 2PM, and interviews are not conducted in any category; the project must stand on its own. Students present their performance and/or documentary, including time for setup and tear-down, but there are no questions. Audience members are encouraged to attend all rounds and to cheer on all students.

FINALS POSTING SITE: Performance and documentary finalists will be posted in the cafeteria (Building C, ground floor) at approximately 1PM. Students who are advancing to finals should note their presentation time slot and proceed to the appropriate room to prepare. Room schedules will be posted in Buildings C, L, R and the Gym for easy navigation; sandwich boards will be set up around campus as well. Paper, website and exhibit finals are not posted; winners are announced at the awards ceremony.

MEALS: If you signed up for meals, tickets will be in the registration packet of the person who paid for the meals. Do not lose the tickets; they are not replaceable and are your only means of access to on-campus meals. Lunch is served 11:30AM-1:30PM; dinner is served 4:30-6PM. If you did not sign up for meals, you may purchase them on site ($11 lunch, $13 dinner). All meals will be served in the Cafeteria, ground floor of Building C. In addition, the coffee shop in the lobby of Building C will be open all day; it features a full espresso menu and assorted pastries and snacks. Vending machines are available in most buildings as well.

CAMPUS EVENTS: Bellevue College and its History Club have put together a number of great events to welcome History Day contestants to campus.
- On Friday, April 30, the Netherfield Regency Ball will take place in the Cafeteria (Building C), beginning at 7:30PM. Participants may dress in 18th-century garb, or come as you are and try out the dances that Thomas Jefferson enjoyed.
- On Saturday, May 1, the History Club will lead four campus tours. Two will include an inside look at the planetarium, another will explore the physics lab, including a cannon demonstration, and one is a surprise. Tour capacity is limited, and students should sign up at registration, where times and rendezvous points will be posted.
- Also on Saturday, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with historians, librarians and archivists from around the state at the History Day Research Buffet, 2-5:30PM in the Cafeteria. This is a great chance to learn about different repositories and their resources, and get one-on-one advice about research.
- Watch for Bellevue College Television (BCTV) staff, who will be filming throughout the day. This is your chance to get on camera, show your project, and talk about participating in History Day.
- Also keep an eye out for our own History Day photographer, Gwen Schweitzer. She’ll be snapping pics throughout the afternoon.

AWARDS: The Awards Ceremony begins at 6:30PM in the Gym; doors open at 6PM. Sit with your teammates and cheer on everyone who completed a History Day project! Awards generally last 90 minutes. When awards end, only teachers may pick up packets with their students’ evaluation forms. Immediately after awards, the top finishers, their parents and teachers stay behind to talk about the national trip. This generally takes about 45 minutes and is absolutely essential.

CODE OF CONDUCT: History Day participants are guests on the Bellevue College campus and are expected to behave according to the codes of conduct of their schools and the NHD Rule Book. Contest coordinators may disqualify any student who violates this rule.

CONTEST PROGRAMS: Complete contest programs will be available for download from the Washington History Day website about three days before the contest. To keep printing costs down, we will not be offering printed programs this year; if you want a complete contest catalog, you should download and print it.

As always, if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks, and happy History Day!

Screening a Documentary at the State Contest? Read This!

This came over the transom from our friends at New York State History Day, and it so perfectly mirrored our experience that we had to share it. So, doc producers, read up and make sure you're ready!

During the regional contests this year, many students brought their documentary entries as computer files. This seemed to be new development for 2010, and there were many issues with hardware and software compatibility. I want to take this time to clarify the procedures for the Documentary Category for the state and national contests.

The intent of this category is to produce a final TV-ready documentary in DVD/VHS format. To that end, both the state and national contests will provide only a television, DVD player and VCR on which students can show their projects.

However, students can show their projects on a computer if they bring the equipment with them (i.e. computer, speakers, projector.) This is in accordance with Rule 8 on page 19 of the National History Day Contest Rule Book, which states: "Students must provide and be able to run their own computers and software."

During the state and national competitions, each documentary entry is given a twenty minute judging period. The first five minutes enables students to set up and test any equipment. They then have ten minutes to present the project and five minutes for tear-down and questions.

Questions? Email us.