HELIX – Sometimes, something that you have to do turns into something that you want to do. That’s the case for J’Ann Burk-Hart, a sophomore at Griswold High School.

Every sophomore and junior at GHS is required to enter the National History Day competition. Every student, as part of a team or individually, must produce a documentary that fits the current year’s theme. The documentaries are then judged, and the top three in each category are entered in the state competition scheduled April 16.

This year’s theme is “Communication: A Key to Understanding History.”

Burk-Hart chose “Native American Language: A Key to Understanding Culture” for her documentary. She placed second in the individual category, guaranteeing her a trip to Willamette University.

As she began to work on her piece, something clicked.

“This project has done so much for her self-esteem,” teacher Darrick Cope said. “That’s the best thing, when your kids have success.”

Burk-Hart spent time with Fred Hill and Jeremiah Farrow, who teach native languages at Nixyaawii Community School in Mission. She said the project opened her mind to new information and gave her some direction. From the very beginning, she said, she felt confident about producing a complicated piece combining video, still photographs, narration and music.

“When I found out the topic, I just had a good feeling,” Burk-Hart said. “My mom and I sat down and talked and she said, ‘This might be your calling.’ “

The sophomore said she feels certain it is what she wants to pursue.

Teacher Lorin Kubishta also helped with the projects. He showed the students how to use “Video Explosion” software, dramatically simplifying the process of putting the documentaries together.

The process was not perfect, however. In addition to the in-depth research their topics required, the students had to find the perfect music and then balance it with the announcer’s voice. Junior Stephen Muller, producer of “Rajneeshpuram: Communicating a Culture, Understanding a Cult,” said that the computer was his major problem.

“Computers are irritating,” the first-place individual winner said. “They never do the same thing twice.”

Muller credited his grandmother with rescuing him when he found little information on the Oregon cult. Gerry Thompson had served as chief of staff for Gov. Vic Atiyah and she was happy to help her grandson relive that turbulent time near rural Antelope.

Suzanne Britt and Sarah Heise, both juniors, produced “Through the Eye of a Lens: The View of Dorothea Lange.” They became experts on the photographer’s touching images of the Great Depression, placing third in the team competition.

Sophomores Whitney Lenhart and Sarah Kubishta, the first place finishers in the group documentary, said producing “Navajo Code Talkers: The Epic Story of Communication” was an eye-opener. In addition to interviewing one of the Navajo heroes of World War II, they also included an interview with Pendleton World War II veteran Bud Jordan.

Other students head for the state competition are the second-place group winners, juniors Mitch Denton and James McKnight, who produced “Chinook Jargon: The Lost Language;” and individual third-place finisher Krystal McClellan, creator of “Liberating the Death Camps: Communicating Lessons of Hatred.”

Griswold is the only high school in Umatilla County to participate in the National History Day documentary competition. The students agreed that the competition is tailor-made for smaller schools with relatively small classes.

“It takes a lot of time,” Burk-Hart said.

“It’s amazing what these kids can create,” Cope said. “It’s something like what you’d see on The History Channel.”