Varsha Parsi (left) Bennett Marcin (right)
Each year, more than 5,000 students in Anne Arundel County schools participate in a nationwide history competition called “National History Day.” This competition requires students to perform in-depth research and create comprehensive projects surrounding a historical theme. The theme for the 2019–2020 school year was “Breaking Barriers in History.” Students had to choose from 13 different topics, which included our Year of the Woman committee’s topic, “A Project Best Representing the Impacts of the 19th Amendment.”
This topic gained the attention of 12 individuals who chose to create a documentary, exhibit board, or historical paper on this certain topic. The nominees were Varsha Parsi, Skye Andros, Annabella McKenna, Haseltine, Sophia Hudiberg, Meera Rathod, Kaylee Burkett, Sarah Swain, Mallory Gallagher, Kate Oyedele, Niriyah Moses, and Bennet Marcin.
The winners, concluding in an tie, were Varsha Parsi who had an outstanding documentary on women’s rights and Bennet Marcin, who wrote a compelling historical paper on Vera Rubin: Breaking Barriers in Astronomy. The winners were awarded with a Winner Certificate and a $250 check from the Year of the Woman committee. The Year of the Woman committee appreciates all of the hard work and look forward to seeing what their futures hold.
We discussed their projects with them in the following interview.
What made you choose our topic “A Project Best Representing the Impacts of the 19th Amendment?”
Vasha Parsi: For the broader topic of women’s rights itself, I have been very passionate about it since the start. I play county girls basketball, and enjoy watching NBA games. But something I had always noticed is that the WNBA, the women’s league, doesn’t receive as much appreciation or recognition. I thought about it, and in many aspects of the world, women still don’t seem equal though the concept of equality is present. We haven’t even had a female president! So I wanted to look further back in history to see if there was any more injustice that I had not been aware of. At the time, I had learned of the Civil War and how it resulted in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments allowing all men of any race to vote. The document doesn’t include anything of the female gender, and thus I wanted to see when exactly did women gained the right to vote. I came across Susan B. Anthony, and her efforts as a women’s suffragist, how she influenced the passing of the 19th amendment. I admired her strength and perseverance to bring about this change in the Constitution, and therefore decided that I had to do this project in order to show the hard work put into the creation of the 19th amendment.
Bennett Marcin: Originally, I just wanted to research women in science. However, as I learned more and more about Vera Rubin, I realized that she was very deserving of a Nobel Prize, but because of inequalities and biases in the voting and nomination system she was never awarded or nominated for a Nobel. Voting discrimination against women creates injustices beyond simply who gets represented in political offices.
What did you learn that you didn’t already know about your project?
VP: The fact that Susan B. Anthony not only influenced one, but two amendments in the constitution, the 18th and 19th. In the process of working with the temperance act, a fight for stronger liquor laws, Anthony realized the real issue at hand—women didn’t have a say in the government. I found it interesting that one of her movements led into the other, and that the ignorance and sexism she faced during the process of the temperance act, fueled her passion for granting women the right to vote and ultimately, equality.
BM: Before doing this project, I was unaware of Vera Rubin and her discovery of dark matter, despite the fact that she multiplied our knowledge of the universe by five. The project was a great opportunity to learn about a woman who is not mentioned as frequently in history as she should be.
What did you take away from your project?
VP: A major thing I took away from my project is that nothing can be done without support. Susan B. Anthony, though accomplishing a lot on her own, was surrounded by powerful women who used their voices to speak out alongside her in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. I personally believe she could not have accomplished much without the help of her fellow members of the National Women’s Suffrage Association. Through this organization, these women were able to simultaneously travel across the United States to advocate for their cause. I realized bringing about social change is a very difficult task, which women like Susan B. Anthony have taken upon their shoulders, and together they were able to fulfill their goal, remembered to this day.
BM: Vera Rubin always pushed women in science farther, beyond just her own gains. She was an advocate for women speaking about their work, and would regularly call event organizers and would tell them that they need more female presenters, providing a list of women who would be happy to speak at their events. My biggest take away from this project is that women who help other women make a difference beyond their own works.
