A total of 46 social studies projects created by sixth- and eighth-graders at Saint Joseph School were presented Jan. 17 in the STEM lab to a panel of history and medical experts.

Among the topics studied by individuals and teams were retirement funds, various sports, horses, fast food and phobias. Those who placed first and second in their categories will compete in the Berkeley County Social Studies Fair on Saturday, Feb. 15, at Musselman Middle School.

The overall individual winner was Ethan McCreery with a project titled “How Has the Change from Pensions to 401(k)s Changed the Retirement Health of Americans?” The overall group winners were Sarah Burns and Elizabeth McMillan with “How Horses Shaped America.”

The event was coordinated by middle school teachers Kathleen Landry and Kathy Halloran.

Here is the complete list of winners:

America 250

Third place: Elianna Kaudy, “Paul Revere: Effects on American Independence”

Economics

First place: McCreery

Second place: Henry Hilton, “Cryptid Currency: The Economics of Cryptozoological Tourism”

Third place: Luke Harding, “How Fast Food Changed the Economy of America”

Honorable mention: Jahziel Araujo-Ramirez, “Does Recycling Influence the Economy?”

Geography

Second place: Diego Garcia, “The Geography of Southern Asia”

Psychology

Second place: Jax Riggleman, “Is Anxiety the Enemy?”

Third place: Reagan Kidwell, “Phobias and Their Causes”

Sociology

First place: Jacob Severance,”The History of e-Bikes and Their Effect on Society”

Second place: Vivienne Olsen, “McDonald’s Toys: How They Changed from the ’70s to the 21st Century”

Third place: Baylor Kovacs, “Societal Norms Versus Tattoos: How They Can Impact Your Place in a Community”

State and local studies

Second place: Brock Riggleman, “Is Martinsburg the ‘Heart of History?’”

Third place: Grace Derrick, “1863: Leading Up to West Virginia’s Statehood”

U.S. history

First place: Jeremiah Simpson, “Operation Redwing: Lost Behind Enemy Lines”

Second place: Charlee Fiorita, “US Women’s Gymnastics: Then and Now”

Third place: Alexis Dinh, “Diamond Head: Mystery Crater”

Honorable mention: Megan Perrotte, “Tennis: 150 Years on the Court”

World history

First place: Isaac Antonetti, “Watches Through the Ages: How Fast Time Goes”

Second place: Brody Kilmer, “What it Was Like to Be a Child in Auschwitz During WWII”

Third place: Anna Porplenko, “The Sinking of the MV Sewol”

Honorable mention: Camille Frail, “A Stitch in Time: The Evolution of Surgical Sutures”

Group winners

U.S. history

First place: Burns and McMillan

Second place: Rhea Rawat and Grace McLaughlin, “Travel Back to the ’90s Fashion”

World history

First place: Isabelle Price and George Phillips, “2016 EgyptAir Incident”

Second place: Rebecca Sharp and Lillia Kelley, “The Evolution of Swim Strokes Throughout the Years: Every Stroke Counts”

Third place: Han Dinh and Khyla Huynh, “The Cold War: A Chronicle of Global Tension”

Honorable mention: Josie Delozier and Lilly Yeargan, “Marie Curie: The Wonders of Her Work”

Judging the entries were:

  • Will Dukes, a retired social studies teacher who also is a substitute teacher at SJS
  • Bob Fleenor, a retired newspaper editor, five-time winner of “Jeopardy!” and president of the Berkeley County chapter board for Read Aloud West Virginia 
  • Bill Harman, a retired social studies teacher
  • Sarah Harvey, a nurse anesthetist at WVU Berkeley Medical Center
  • Bob O’Connor, author of more than two dozen books – fiction and nonfiction – mostly concerning the American Civil War