Young historians win national awards

The names of two Otago Girls' High School pupils have been engraved in the history books of the New Zealand History Teachers' Association and the New Zealand Historical Association after winning awards at the organisations' 2012 New Zealand Young Historians' Awards. Rebecca Anderson (16) won the national year 12 competition with her essay titled "Times of Protest: Homosexual Law Reform", and Xanthe Musgrave (18) was runner-up in the year 13 competition with her essay titled "Maori Prisoners in Dunedin". Rebecca said her passion for human rights, law, and the current debate about same-sex marriage inspired her to write about the situation and include numerous historical ideas. The judges said the "textbook chapter" had clear evidence of in-depth, quality research. "The level of detail would not be out of place in year 13, or even university text. The clear winner." Xanthe won praise from the judges for her research essay on Maori prisoners and the way they were taken from their villages to be incarcerated for "doing nothing at all". "I like scandalous things, really. I've always thought about what life would be like as a prisoner. "My research has given me a healthy respect for the law. I don't want to end up behind bars." The judges were impressed with the presentation of her essay. "This work is presented as a Te Papa museum information booklet and meets the requirements of its format wonderfully. Detailed in its narrative and with perceptive analysis of issues with historical evidence, this is an excellent example of the level to which a local study can be taken." Both girls were delighted with their awards. Xanthe said it was the first time she had placed in a national writing competition. - john.lewis@odt.co.nz http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/231988/young-historians-win-national-awards By John Lewis on Fri, 26 Oct 2012