| Subject: Student earns award for Kevorkian documentary |
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Date Posted: 06/29/06 5:36pm
Student earns award for Kevorkian documentary
Thursday, June 29, 2006
By Kym Reinstadler
The Grand Rapids Press
HOLLAND -- You might not know Dr. Jack, but Sophie Boudreau does.
Boudreau, 14, of Holland, researched and produced a 10-minute documentary on the life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the physician who has been imprisoned for seven years for pioneering physician-assisted suicide.
Boudreau's documentary, "Who's Death Is It, Anyway?" was selected as the best history project from a Michigan middle school this month at the National History Day competition at the University of Maryland.
Hers was among National History Day projects produced by students from Holland Public Schools' East and West middle schools advancing to the National History Day finals.
Boudreau produced her project in Gary Vosburg's program for gifted and talented students at East.
"Initially, I was disappointed about not making it to the final 14," said Boudreau, who will be a freshman at Holland High School this fall. "It was real surprising when my name was called for the best junior project from Michigan."
Judges described her documentary as "riveting."
Boudreau said her project could have been stronger if she had got the interviews she requested from Kevorkian and his high-profile attorney, Geoffrey Fieger. She received no response to letters sent to both.
She imagines the 78-year-old Kevorkian did not feel well enough to talk.
Last week, the Michigan Parole Board rejected Kevorkian's claim he has less than a year to live and should have his second-degree murder sentence commuted. Kevorkian, who weighs 113 pounds and is suffering from Hepatitis C, is being held at Lakeland Correction Facility in Coldwater and is eligible for parole June 1, 2007.
Boudreau plans to drop Kevorkian a line to let him know how she did on the project.
The Holland students and their parents spent parts of three days touring historic sites in the nation's capitol, guided by Vosburg and Mark Knopf, a history teacher at West Middle School.
Boudreau had barely heard of euthanasia when she chose the topic to go along with this year's competition theme of "taking a stand in history."
She was searching for a topic that would evoke strong emotions, and her father, Tim Boudreau, suggested Kevorkian.
Judges at the state National History Day in April gave her high marks for featuring a newsmaker from Michigan.
"Who's Death Is It, Anyway?" is not Boudreau's first DVD. But she said it is the first that could not be shot and edited in a day. She devoted more than 20 hours to the project.
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