Freshman Amanda Rooker will advance to national level competition as one of only two students representing California at this year’s National History Day competition in Maryland.

For this year’s NHD competition, Rooker performed as three characters involved in the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines case (1969), the Supreme Court decision that affirmed student’s rights to free speech while in a public school. Mary Beth Tinker was suspended for wearing black armbands to protest the war in Vietnam.

“First Amendment rights on freedom of expression intrigued me. As I researched topics, I came across the Tinker v. Des Moines case. When I studied  the subject further I found myself inspired by this case because of its focus on the rights and heroism of students close to my age. My personal connection as a student with an interest in freedom of expression guided me to choose the Tinker v. Des Moines case,” said Rooker.

For the past four years, Rooker has competed in NHD, a contest where students research and prepare either an exhibit, documentary, historical paper, website, or performance on subject relating to theme. This year’s theme was Rights and Responsibilities.

In the past, Rooker made it to state competition as a seventh grader and nationals in eighth grade. Since she was the only student from SJHHS to prepare a project this year, she went straight to county competition, then won state in Riverside on April 26. Now it’s on to nationals.

Rooker’s performance, a nine minute monologue, begins in the 1960’s with her singing the Barry McGuire song, “Eve of Destruction” to provide historical context for the period.

Next, she presents the viewpoint of Mary Beth Tinker as she makes plans with her friends to wear the armbands. Rooker then transitions between other characters, playing the role of Ora Niffenegger to show the prospective of the Des Moines School Board, then the ACLU lawyer who represented her in court.

She concludes the performance as Tinker as an adult addressing a gathering of students to emphasize the conflict between rights and responsibility and how the ideas fought for in the case still have relevance today.

Rooker plans to stay involved in the program by starting a National History Day Club here at SJHHS. She says she will continue competing in the National History Day throughout her high school career no matter what the outcome in Maryland this June.